Department for Transport

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding from the Highways England Innovation Fund has been (a) allocated and (b) spent on developing of automated traffic cone machines and any associated technology.

George Freeman: Highways England has one project regarding “Automated Cone Laying” which seeks to develop a first generation fully automated cone laying vehicle which requires no personnel on the back of the vehicle. £1.133m is forecast to be spent in 2019/20 from a total approved allocation for the project of £1.27m. There is a break point at the end of this financial year after completion of live testing of the automated cone laying vehicles. No funding was spent in previous financial years on automated traffic cone machines.

Train Operating Companies: Regulation

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s regulation of the (a) finances, (b) performance, (c) public interest benefit and (d) transparency of train operating companies.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Secretary of State for Transport does not regulate the rail industry. Regulation is carried out by the independent Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The Secretary of State for Transport holds TOCs to account through the contractual terms of their franchise agreements. These include obligations around finance, operational performance, delivery of passenger benefits, and transparency. If a TOC does not meet these (or any other) obligations the SoS acts to remedy the situation in accordance with the enforcement provisions in the contract and in consideration of the SoS’s Statutory Duties given in the attached Public Enforcement Policy.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Government innovation funds for automated traffic cone technology, how much funding has been awarded to date; and on what date each such funding award was made.

George Freeman: Highways England has one project regarding “Automated Cone Laying” which seeks to develop a first generation fully automated cone laying vehicle which requires no personnel on the back of the vehicle. £1.133m is forecast to be spent in 2019/20 from a total project budget of £1.27m approved on 9th December 2018. There is a break point at the end of this financial year after completion of live testing of the automated cone laying vehicles. No funding was spent in previous financial years on automated traffic cone machines.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the designated Innovation Fund for development of automated traffic cone machines and associated technology, which recipients are awaiting funding; and how much funding each organisation is awaiting.

George Freeman: There are no projects or recipients awaiting funding to develop automated traffic cone machines and associated technology.

Crewe-Holyhead Railway Line

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 1588 on Crewe-Holyhead Railway Line, what recommendations were made on the strategic outline business case for delivering journey time improvements on the North Wales main line; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In light of the SOBC findings indicating a promising business case, the Government is progressing a ‘Decision to Develop’ through the governance of the Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline to take the development of a scheme to the next stage.

Department for Transport: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff in his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The table below shows the number of staff (expressed as a headcount) who are based in London and are paid below £10.55 an hour, as at 1st April 2019. DfT(c) are based in London, all other agencies are based outside of London. OrganisationHeadcount Below £Total HeadcountDfT(c)20*2519 *This figure is rounded to the nearest 5, and are all first-year apprentices based in London.  The DfT always awards contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer. In line with statutory requirements, we insist that Contractors pay at least the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage for workers over 25.

Bus Services: Concessions

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of local authority commitments to introduce reduced rate bus passes for women affected by the Pensions Act 1995; and if he will make a statement.

George Freeman: Concessionary travel legislation gives all local authorities in England the power to introduce local concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, including the extension of concessionary travel to those who are yet to reach the qualifying age. This is the case in London, where the Mayor introduced a concession for older people between the age of sixty and the point at which they qualify for the statutory concession. A similar scheme also exists in Merseyside. The Government believes that local authorities are best placed to decide how to provide local services. With a number of powers devolved, it is for local authorities to decide on which schemes are best suited to communities, based upon their assessment of local need and funding priorities.

West Midlands Trains: Strikes

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 May 2003 to Question 113237 on rail strikes, whether West Midlands Trains has an indemnification clause in its franchise agreement with the Department for Transport allowing it to apply for reimbursement for revenues lost as a consequence of official industrial action.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In common with other rail franchises, the West Midlands Trains Franchise Agreement includes a standard provision whereby the Secretary of State is able to, at his discretion, reimburse net losses arising from Industrial Action. This can be viewed at Clause 5 of Schedule 8.1 of Franchise Agreement which is on the Department’s web site at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/837515/west-midlands-2017-franchise-agreement.pdf

West Midlands Trains: Strikes

Ruth Smeeth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 15 May 2003 to Question 113237 on rail strikes, whether (a) he or (b) his Department has had any correspondence with West Midlands Trains on reimbursement for potential industrial action.

Chris Heaton-Harris: There has been no correspondence between the Department and West Midlands Trains on this subject.

Travel: Concessions

Mr Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of extending the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to peak-time travel.

George Freeman: No estimate has been made of the cost of extending the statutory English National Concessionary Travel Scheme to include pre-9.30am travel. Concessionary travel legislation gives all local authorities in England the power to introduce local concessions in addition to their statutory obligations, including free or discounted travel before 9.30am. This is the most commonly offered local concession – 69 of the 89 Travel Concession Authorities in England (outside London) offered free or discounted travel before 9.30am to pass holders in 2018/19.

Railways: Concessions

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the 16-25 Railcard in the last year for which figures are available.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost to the public purse was of the Senior Railcard in the last year for which figures are available.

Chris Heaton-Harris: As set out in franchise agreements with train operators, the Department for Transport will receive a premium from them or pay out a subsidy based on a range of measures that the franchisee is asked to deliver, including the Senior and 16-25 railcards. It is not possible to disentangle all of the individual elements that contribute to a TOC’s subsidy or premium. As such the department does not undertake ongoing financial assessments of these individual products.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Domestic Appliances: Repairs and Maintenance

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if she will make it her policy to introduce regulations comparable to EU right to repair regulations for appliances after the UK leaves the EU.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: The Government supports measures which help to reduce the environmental impact of appliances and earlier this year voted in favour of new EU ecodesign measures which aim to improve both the energy efficiency and resource efficiency of products, for example by requiring them to be more easily repairable. Although the UK will not be subject to these new ecodesign rules which will take effect after we have left the EU, we intend to consult on new UK ecodesign measures, including both energy efficiency requirements and requirements on repairability.

Climate Change Convention

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment has been made of the advantages and disadvantages of appointing the role of President of the 26th Conference of the Parties UN Climate Conference external to the executive.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister has asked my rt. hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Claire Perry MP) to take on the role of UK nominated COP26 President. This is a strong signal that the PM is committed to a successful COP and is keen we ramp up preparations accordingly.My rt. hon. Friend’s experience as a former minister for energy and clean growth, as well as founding the Powering Past Coal Alliance (alongside Canada) will be invaluable in delivering COP26.

Climate Change Convention

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether she plans to establish an advisory board to support her Department’s preparations for hosting the 26th Conference of the Parties.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: We are fortunate in the UK to have a wealth of external expertise on climate change and energy across a range of sectors. We already engage with many of these stakeholders on a regular basis and will continue to ensure the wealth of external expertise is utilised during preparations for COP26.

Climate Change Convention

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether her Department plans to submit a new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which is separate from the EU's NDC to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as required by the Paris Agreement after the UK leaves the EU.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: My rt. hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear at the UN Climate Action Summit in September that it is vital that all countries come forward with increased Nationally Determined Contributions. Following the Summit, my. rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed to Parliament that the UK will raise our own 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution by February 2020.

Climate Change Convention

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what meetings officials in her Department have had with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat on the UK hosting the 26th Conference of the Parties.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: The UNFCCC Secretariat will be crucial partners in delivering a successful COP. Officials working on UNFCCC negotiations engage with colleagues in the Secretariat on a regular basis. In order to inform the UK decision to bid to host COP26, and subsequent preparations, officials undertook several fact-finding meetings in the margins of intersessional meetings in 2018 and 2019. A specific visit to inform the decision to bid was undertaken to Bonn in October 2018.

Rain Forests: Amazonia

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 2 October to Question 290776 on Rain Forests: Amazonia, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the (a) degradation of carbon sinks and (b) deforestation in the Amazon rainforest on the timeframe for the UK's transition to a net-zero economy.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: The timeframe for the UK's transition to achieving our domestic net-zero target is not dependent on reducing degradation and deforestation in the Amazonia rainforest. However, BEIS continues to support work on the supply chain impacts of UK consumption of key commodities such as soya, as well as work to reduce deforestation and restore forests in Amazonia countries.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to the Answer of 14 September 2018 to Question 171303, what progress her Department has made in its Ageing Society Mission.

Nadhim Zahawi: Holding answer received on 21 October 2019



The Aging Society Mission is a cross-government priority with the aim of delivering an additional five years of independent living by 2035. DHSC’s ‘Prevention is better that cure’ vision sets out the steps to deliver this mission. So far we have announced £98 million of investment through the Healthy Ageing Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to stimulate well-designed innovations that support people to enjoy active and independent lives for longer. We have announced plans to launch a ‘Home of 2030’ design and innovation competition later this year – which will seek to prototype the homes of the future that are built to a standard suitable for the changing needs across a lifetime. We have part-funded the new National Innovation Centre for Ageing in Newcastle, which is due to open later this year. In addition, we have announced over £130 million of investment to support healthcare innovation, including £69.5 million through UKRI’s Strategic Priorities Fund to unlock new treatments that allow people to lead healthier and longer lives. We have launched a joint UK–Japan competition to support British and Japanese businesses to harness AI and robotics to develop and showcase a new generation of assisted living products to help create safe, ethical and intelligent home environments.

Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is taking to ensure (a) competitive and (b) fair market tariffs are available under the Smart Export Guarantee.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: The level of remuneration under Smart Export Guarantee tariffs will be determined by suppliers, in line with the aim of moving away from direct subsidy to cost reflective pricing and competitive market-based solutions.The Government have asked Ofgem to report annually on the provisions made by suppliers for smaller scale exporters, including the range, nature and uptake of Smart Export Guarantee tariffs.The Government will actively monitor the development of this market and will consider reviewing these tariff setting arrangements, if it becomes clear that small generators are not able to access a competitive range of export tariff options.

Energy: Prices

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect on average household energy bills of the UK leaving the EU.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: The Government recognises the importance to businesses and households of having access to an affordable, secure and sustainable supply of energy. The UK’s exit from the EU will not alter the fact that our energy system is resilient and secure and drawn from a number of sources. Many factors impact energy prices including fuel prices, exchange rates and generation mix. Great Britain will remain physically linked to the EU post-exit through electricity and gas interconnectors. We expect that any change in electricity prices in Great Britain as a result of changes to interconnector trading arrangements would fall within the normal range of market volatility. For gas markets, the mechanisms of cross-border trade are not expected to fundamentally change after exit. The UK gas market is one of the world’s most developed and provides security through supply diversity, most of which is not dependent on the EU. Energy regulators in Ireland and Northern Ireland have set out that the Single Electricity Market (SEM) will continue to operate immediately after Brexit, including in a No Deal scenario. The SEM is designed to put downward pressure on consumer electricity prices, facilitate the integration of renewables and provide continued security of supply. The UK is committed to seeking to maintain the SEM in any scenario and will therefore take all possible measures to do so. The Government has taken steps to enable electricity and gas trade to continue and maintain the effectiveness of domestic regulation, providing legal clarity for industry on the future operations of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s energy markets.

Electricity: Prices

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps her Department is  taking to reduce the cost of electricity to consumers.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: Energy policy is largely devolved to Northern Ireland, including energy price regulation. Across the island of Ireland the Single Electricity Market (SEM) is designed to put downward pressure on consumer electricity prices, facilitate the integration of renewables and provide continued security of supply. The Government is committed to ensuring fair energy prices for consumers and has a range of policies in Great Britain. The Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Act requires the energy regulator to cap standard variable and default energy tariffs. Ofgem estimate this could save consumers around £75-100 per year. There are around 60 domestic suppliers in the GB energy market with a range of innovative tariffs for consumers to choose from. Switching in early 2019 hit historic highs, with the total number of domestic switches in the 12 months up to July 2019 was 10% higher than over the same period last year. In August 2019, customers could save up to £408 a year by switching. Over 2 million low income and vulnerable households receive £140 off their electricity bills each winter through the Warm Home Discount. Improving the energy efficiency of a home is the best way of reducing energy bills for the long-term. Since 2013, over 2 million homes, including those with electric heating, have had their energy efficiency improved under the Energy Company Obligation.

Iron and Steel: Manufacturing Industries

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans she has to reduce electricity costs for the steel sector.

Nadhim Zahawi: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Electricity: Prices

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether she plans to respond to the recommendations in the report, The Energy Price Gap, published by UK Steel in October 2019 on reducing the difference between the price of industrial electricity in (a) the UK and (b) Germany and France.

Nadhim Zahawi: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Iron and Steel

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent steps she has taken to encourage Government Departments to sign the UK Steel Charter.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department signed up to the UK Steel Charter at its launch in May 2019 and we are committed to the elements of the Charter that are compatible with our procurement guidance. I have recently written to my colleagues in the Departments identified as the most important by UK Steel. I have communicated the benefits of the UK Steel Charter and how Government Departments can commit to the steps that align with steel procurement rules.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Behavioural Insights Team

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many of her Department's policies have been formulated with reference to research from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2010.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy has commissioned research from the Behavioural Insights Team since 2014 across a wide range of issues which have added to the evidence base in formulating the department’s policies. Since January 2011, details of central government contracts awarded above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive.Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at:https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search.

Thomas Cook: Insolvency

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 1123, what additional public funding has been made available to support businesses in the Thomas Cook supply chain; and by what mechanism will that funding be allocated.

Kelly Tolhurst: Local partners are able to advise on support available locally to businesses in the Thomas Cook supply chain. The Business Secretary has convened a special cross-government taskforce alongside local stakeholders to support employees, local stakeholders and supply chains. The taskforce is considering existing support schemes available and will also monitor local business impacts. Additionally, the Rapid Response Service is helping people find a new job as soon as possible by offering tailored support, which may include: Help with job searches, including CV writing and interview skills.Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps, linked to the local labour market.Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised certification that will improve employability.Help to overcome barriers to attending training, securing a job or self-employment, such as childcare costs, tools, work clothes and travel costs.

Thomas Cook: Insolvency

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 1123, what financial support is available for businesses in a position to take on former employees of Thomas Cook.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Thomas Cook: Insolvency

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 740, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making additional funding available to the National Taskforce for Thomas Cook.

Kelly Tolhurst: The National Taskforce for Thomas Cook will look to ensure existing mechanisms to offer support and associated governance are working effectively.

Thomas Cook: Insolvency

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 737, how many of the (a) 7,186 and (b) 462 former Thomas Cook employees who specifically stated in their claim that Peterborough was their place of work have received redundancy payments to date.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Heating: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what her Department’s policy is on the decarbonisation of heating in Scotland.

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when her Department will publish its plans for the decarbonisation of heating in Scotland.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: In 2019, the UK government set a legally binding-target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the UK economy by 2050. Meeting this target will require virtually all heat in buildings to be decarbonised, and heat in industry to be reduced to close to zero carbon emissions. Heat policy is devolved in Scotland, but in practice the devolution arrangement is complicated, with some levers (e.g. building regulations) being fully devolved, and others (e.g. fuel standards and specifications) being fully reserved. We are working to develop policies to meet our net zero target, and the Department has committed to publishing a new heat roadmap in summer 2020. This will set out the programme of work required to enable key strategic decisions in the first half of the 2020s on how we achieve mass transition to low carbon heating. The Department will work with colleagues in the Scottish Government to ensure that the implications and impacts for Scotland are fully accounted for.

Heating: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate she has made of the level of funding required to decarbonise gas distribution networks in Scotland.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: Support for innovation remains an important part of accelerating decarbonisation. We announced our intention in 2017 to spend £60 million supporting innovative, low carbon energy infrastructure solutions across Scotland – including battery storage, sustainable heating systems and low emissions transport. Alongside this, Ofgem have funds available to encourage gas distribution networks innovation. One example is the Gas Network Innovation Competition. It provides an opportunity for gas network companies to compete for funding for the development and demonstration of new technologies, operating and commercial arrangements. Up to £20 million per annum is available through the Gas Network Innovation Competition.

Natural Gas: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made of the role of investment in gas distribution networks in tackling fuel poverty in Scotland.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: Fuel poverty is a devolved issue, and responsibility for regulating the gas distribution networks lies with Ofgem. BEIS has responsibility for fuel poverty in England. I regularly have conversations with my counterparts in the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of issues, most recently on 24 October. BEIS has recently concluded a consultation on fuel poverty in England and are currently analysing the responses. A Government response to consultation will be published in due course.

Natural Gas: Scotland

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment she has made in the role of gas distribution networks in Scotland in achieving Scotland’s decarbonisation targets.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: Gas distribution networks will play an important role in achieving Scotland’s decarbonisation targets. Gas networks have the potential to deliver low carbon gases such as hydrogen and biomethane. To accelerate the decarbonisation of our gas supplies, the Government has committed to increasing the proportion of green gas in the grid and will consult on the appropriate mechanism to deliver this commitment. In the near term, hydrogen could be blended with natural gas to reduce its carbon intensity. An example is the Hydeploy project at Keele University, which is planning to trial and demonstrate the safety of up-to a 20% hydrogen mix, decarbonising the delivered energy by around 8%.[1] In the longer term, it may be feasible and cost effective to use the gas networks to deliver 100% hydrogen to some or all connected areas. SGN is planning to demonstrate a 100% hydrogen gas network in Scotland, converting part of the gas distribution network to trial delivering hydrogen. The project is assessing the suitability of three sites in Scotland, in Aberdeen, Levenmouth and Machrihanish with one to be selected as the most suitable location for the construction of the demonstration network. [1] A vision for Scotland’s electricity and gas networks 2019-2030 report

Thomas Cook: Insolvency

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate has been made of the number of Thomas Cook employees who were based at the company's headquarters in Peterborough.

Kelly Tolhurst: The Official Receiver’s Special Managers advise that 1,143 staff were based at the Thomas Cook headquarters in Peterborough.The National Taskforce for Thomas Cook will look to ensure existing mechanisms to offer support and associated governance are working effectively.Additionally, the Rapid Response Service is helping people find a new job as soon as possible by offering tailored support, which may include:Help with job searches, including CV writing and interview skills.Help to identify transferable skills and skills gaps, linked to the local labour market.Training to update skills, learn new ones and gain industry recognised certification that will improve employability.Help to overcome barriers to attending training, securing a job or self-employment, such as childcare costs, tools, work clothes and travel costs.

Wind Power: Lighting

Bill Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions she has had with devolved Administrations on ensuring that warning lights on onshore wind turbines do not compromise gold tier dark sky parks including the Galloway and the Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: The Civil Aviation Authority set the requirements for warning lights on wind turbines in excess of 150 metres tall, to ensure high safety standards. Planning policy is a devolved matter in Scotland and it will be for the relevant Scottish Local Authority to consider the impact of light pollution from wind turbines.

Wind Power: Noise

Bill Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effects of (a) low-frequency sound and (b) amplitude modulation from onshore wind turbines on public (i) health and (ii) quality of life.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: In 2016 the Department for Energy and Climate Change published a report which makes recommendations for how local planning authorities can assess amplitude modulation and use planning conditions to control it where necessary.

Wind Power

Bill Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions her Department has had with the devolved Administrations on distribution density of onshore wind turbines and the effect of that distribution density on communities.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: I regularly have conversations with my counterparts in the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of issues, most recently on 24 October. The Government is rightly proud of its record on reducing emissions, and we continue to be ambitious in the deployment of renewables. Working with Devolved Administrations, the Offshore Wind Sector Deal aims to deliver 30GW of offshore wind by 2030, while boosting the UK economy, enhancing growth in the regions and continuing to reduce costs. As planning policy is a devolved matter, it is for the Devolved Administrations to establish their planning policy and approach to deciding planning applications.

Regulatory Policy Committee

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on what occasions the Regulatory Policy Committee has not rated a regulatory proposal following its assessment.

Nadhim Zahawi: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Regulatory Policy Committee

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the timetable is for the Regulatory Policy Committee to review its rating of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.

Nadhim Zahawi: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Wind Power: Ayrshire

Bill Grant: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps she is taking with devolved Administrations to address negative perceptions of the effects of onshore wind turbines in the (a) Carrick area of south Ayrshire and (b) Cumnock area of east Ayrshire.

Kwasi  Kwarteng: I regularly have conversations with my counterparts in the Devolved Administrations on a wide range of issues, most recently on 24 October. The Government is rightly proud of its record on reducing emissions, and we continue to be ambitious in the deployment of renewables. Working with Devolved Administrations, the Offshore Wind Sector Deal aims to deliver 30GW of offshore wind by 2030, while boosting the UK economy, enhancing growth in the regions and continuing to reduce costs. As planning policy is a devolved matter, it is for the Devolved Administrations to establish their planning policy and approach to deciding planning applications.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) help ensure that all parties to the conflict in north east Syria uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect (i) civilians and (ii) civilian infrastructure and (b) facilitate consistent and unimpeded humanitarian access to that area.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We have been clear that we expect all parties to respect their obligations to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure under international humanitarian law. The Prime Minister made this clear to President Erdogan on 20 October, and the Foreign Secretary conveyed this message to his Turkish counterpart, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, on 10 October.The UK has also consistently advocated for sustained humanitarian access in all areas of Syria, including the north east. We are committed to the renewal of Resolution 2249, which allows much needed aid to be delivered cross-border into Syria, and will soon begin discussions with likeminded countries in the UNSC on this subject. We also joined EU partners in a statement urging all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and unhindered, safe and sustainable humanitarian access throughout Syria. We are in close contact with the authorities in Turkey and in Iraq, including in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, on the situation in north-east Syria including on the need for humanitarian access.

Yemen: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that all parties to the conflict in Yemen comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2451.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. We fully support the peace process led by the UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, and urge the parties to engage constructively with this process. On 26 September, the UK co-hosted a political event at the UN General Assembly to coordinate the international community’s support for the UN-led peace process and endorse the Special Envoy’s plan to begin wider political discussion. On 17 October, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN made a statement to the Security Council regarding the situation in Yemen, where she welcomed the reduction in violations of the Stockholm Agreement and called on all parties to immediately comply with Security Council Resolution 2451.

Yemen: Baha'i Faith

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of discrimination against members of the Baha’i faith by Houthi authorities in Yemen; and what representations he has made to the (a) Houthi authorities and the government of Iran on the persecution of the Baha’i.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK strongly condemns the mistreatment of Baha’is who are being persecuted for their religious beliefs in areas under the control of the Houthis. We are working closely with our partners to raise these concerns directly with the Houthi authorities and urge the release of detained individuals. We continue to follow the treatment of the Baha’is in Yemen closely, including through meeting their representatives in the UK and lobbying the relevant authorities. We continue to call on the parties to the conflict for the human rights of all Yemenis to be respected. At the UN General Assembly in September, we brought the international community together at a UK-hosted event to shine a spotlight on Iran's human rights abuses. We will also be using Iran’s forthcoming Universal Periodic Review in November, to raise concerns about the ongoing discrimination and targeting of religious minority groups, including the Baha’i community.​

Bangladesh: Elections

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support democratic processes in Bangladesh to ensure fair and transparent elections in that country.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The UK continues to supports efforts to build a stable, prosperous and democratic Bangladesh. We engage with the Government of Bangladesh to address the full range of our human rights concerns including freedom of expression. After the elections, the then Minister for Asia and the Pacific made clear our concerns, and deplored acts of intimidation and unlawful violence that had taken place. He reiterated concerns about democratic space during his visit to Dhaka in April, including with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He urged the Government of Bangladesh to engage fully with civil society, opposition parties and the media to address concerns regarding freedom of expression, and he underlined the importance of accountable, democratic institutions to support Bangladesh’s continued development.​

Bangladesh: Journalism

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the safety of journalists in that country.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We regularly discuss media freedom and the safety of journalists with the Government of Bangladesh. When they met in July 2019, the Minister for South Asia discussed with the Bangladeshi State Minister for Foreign Affairs the vital role the media plays in upholding transparency and democracy. The then Minister for Asia and the Pacific reiterated the importance of freedom of expression when he met the Prime Minister and other ministers during his visit in April 2019. Media freedom and the safety of journalists will remain a priority for the UK’s engagement with Bangladesh.​

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help ensure the safety of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The British Government remains fully committed to supporting Rohingya refugees and the Government of Bangladesh, which is hosting close to one million refugees. In August, the Minister for South Asia wrote to Bangladeshi State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam. He welcomed the Government of Bangladesh’s continued commitment that any returns must be safe, voluntary, dignified and in accordance with international humanitarian principles.The UK remains deeply concerned at the plight of the Rohingya. In recent weeks we have announced an additional £117 million funding to help provide food, healthcare, water and sanitation, care and counselling for sexual violence survivors and protection for vulnerable groups, and education in the camps. This will lift our total contribution from the start of the crisis in August 2017 to £256 million. The UK remains one of the leading bilateral donors to the humanitarian crisis.​

Bangladesh: Missing Persons

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on enforced disappearances of opposition party members in that country.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We continue to stress to the Government of Bangladesh the importance of respect for human rights and the rule of law. Bangladesh remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and we regularly raise our human rights concerns including enforced disappearances with the Government of Bangladesh. The then Foreign Secretary raised these concerns with Prime Minster Hasina in September 2018. We urge the Government of Bangladesh to engage constructively with opposition parties, civil society and the media to support a stable, democratic and prosperous Bangladesh.​

Bangladesh: LGBT People

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the safety of LGBT+ activists in that country.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity. We welcome recent Bangladeshi legislation recognising the rights of the Hijra/transgender community. However, homosexuality remains illegal in Bangladesh, and we are aware that LGBT campaigners have been targeted by extremists and remain under pressure. UK ministers and our High Commission in Dhaka will continue to engage with the Government of Bangladesh on the full range of our human rights concerns, including LGBT rights.​

Tunisia: Elections

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Tunisian counterpart on the outcome of the elections of 15 September 2019 in that country.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The British Government congratulates Kais Saied on his election as president of Tunisia. We remain in close touch with the Government of Tunisia and look forward to working with the new Government when it is formed in the near future. I held comprehensive talks with the Tunisian Secretary of State to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sabri Bachtobji, at the UK-Tunisia Bilateral Forum in London on 12 September.The signing of the UK-Tunisia Association Agreement on 4 October, and the UK-Tunisia Investment Forum on 22 October were other recent highlights of our growing bilateral co-operation.

Saudi Arabia: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the drone attacks on oil refineries in that country.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Foreign Secretary raised the attacks with Saudi Minister of State Adel Al-Jubeir on 21 October. The UK is confident that Iran bears responsibility for the Aramco attacks in Saudi Arabia on 14 September. We continue to work for stability in the region with the international community, including Saudi Arabia, to uphold the international rules that protect us all.

Lebanon: Drugs

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Lebanese counterpart on tackling drug trafficking in that country.

Dr Andrew Murrison: I visited Lebanon on 7-9 October. During that visit I met key Lebanese leaders and the Lebanese Armed Forces. I discussed what the Government of Lebanon was doing to secure the Lebanese-Syrian border, including disrupting smuggling and trafficking, and the support which the UK is providing in this regard.​

Egypt: Economic Policy

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on that country's economic objectives.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We regularly discuss Egypt’s economic development with Egyptian ministers and officials, and we support programming in Egypt to promote economic development and reform. On 17 September, I met Dr Sahar Nasr, the Egyptian Minister for International Investment and Co-operation to discuss the, £13 million of UK funding for the World Bank’s economic reform programme in Egypt. Inclusive economic growth can promote stability and prosperity for all.

Egypt: Zionism

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Defence and (b) his Egyptian counterpart on that country's military objectives to defeat Zionism.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​The Foreign Secretary has not discussed this subject with the Secretary of State for Defence or his Egyptian counterpart. Egypt has had diplomatic relations with Israel since the signing of the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in 1979.

Syria: Military Intervention

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help resolve the situation in the Kurdish controlled territory of northern Syria arising from Turkish military action in that area.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​The UK has taken bilateral and multilateral action to end the Turkish military incursion into north-east Syria. The Prime Minister spoke to President Erdogan on 12 and 20 October and the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary have also spoken to their Turkish counterparts. We and our European Union partners have issued statements condemning the Turkish military operation and we have also, with European partners, raised this issue at the UN Security Council.

Cameroon: Peace Negotiations

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Cameroon.

Andrew Stephenson: ​The British Government remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon. We continue to raise these concerns at the highest levels, including with the Government of Cameroon, at the UN and with international partners. During briefings on conflict prevention, peace and security at the UN Security Council in October, the UK welcomed the National Dialogue that took place in Cameroon from 30 September – 4 October as an initial step to bring parties together to work towards peace. The subsequent release of 333 prisoners arrested in connection with the crisis was also a welcome step. We hope these developments will build confidence among all parties to engage in efforts to bring peace to the North-West and South-West regions. Inclusive discussions about the root causes of people’s grievances and follow up on recommendations made at the National Dialogue are urgently needed to maintain momentum.

USA: Diplomatic Service

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whom he plans to recommend Her Majesty appoints as her ambassador to the United States of America.

Christopher Pincher: A new appointment will be made in due course. The United Kingdom has a strong relationship with the US which is based on many decades of close cooperation and partnership, and that will remain the case.

USA: Diplomatic Service

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to recommend the appointment of a new ambassador to the United States of America.

Christopher Pincher: A new appointment will be made in due course. The United Kingdom has a strong relationship with the US which is based on many decades of close cooperation and partnership, and that will remain the case.

Syria: British Nationals Abroad

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to repatriate all British children and their mothers from North East Syria to the UK.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​The Foreign Secretary has made clear that the Government will seek to assist British unaccompanied minors and orphans in Syria, who are brought to our attention, subject to national security concerns. The UK has no consular presence within Syria from which to provide assistance, but we carefully consider all requests.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in his Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Christopher Pincher: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) employs around 13,000 staff, around 5,000 of whom are UK-based and 8,000 local staff. The FCO only holds diversity data centrally for UK-based staff. According to March 2019 data from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES), available publicly online, 4.5 per cent of UK-based FCO staff identified as Muslim, excluding Wilton Park and FCO Services staff. This 4.5 per cent figure does not include 'do not wish to declare' responses. According the ACSES survey, the FCO's reporting rate for religion or belief was 65.3 per cent in March 2019, excluding both blank and 'do not wish to declare' responses.

Syria: Military Intervention

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of reports of the use of white phosphorus on Kurdish civilians in north east Syria.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​We are aware of allegations that white phosphorus has been used against civilians. It is important that the full facts are established. We have called on all parties to uphold international humanitarian law which prohibits attacks against civilians irrespective of the weapon used.

Armed Conflict: Civilians

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his timescale is for publication of the outcome of his Department's review of the Government’s approach to Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is leading a review of the Government’s approach to Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. We aim to complete the review by the end of 2019, when the conclusions will be made public.

Armed Conflict: Civilians

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans his Department has to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the protection of civilians agenda during the UK presidency of the UN Security Council.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​The UK will hold the Presidency of the UN Security Council in November 2019. As Council President, the UK will be responsible for managing the Council's busy work programme and representing the Council to the media and other parts of the UN. We also have the opportunity to hold a limited number of discretionary events. The underlying theme of our Presidency will be Global Britain and upholding the Rules Based International System. Although we do not have plans to mark the twentieth anniversary specifically, the impact of conflict on civilians will feature heavily during the month.

Syria: British Nationals Abroad

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions has he had with the Secretary of State for Defence on the repatriation of British children and their mothers trapped in north east Syria.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​The Foreign Secretary has discussed the repatriation of British children from north east Syria with Cabinet ministers including the Secretary of State for Defence, and these discussions are ongoing. The Foreign Secretary has made clear that the Government will seek to assist British unaccompanied minors and orphans in Syria, who are brought to our attention, subject to national security concerns. The UK has no consular presence within Syria from which to provide assistance, but we carefully consider all requests.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to comply with UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/73/295 of 22 May 2019 which demands that the UK withdraw its colonial administration from the Chagos Archipelago by 22 November 2019.

Christopher Pincher: We remain disappointed that this matter was referred to the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly. We have no doubt about our sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory, which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814. Mauritius has never held sovereignty over the Archipelago and we do not recognise its claim. We have, however, made a longstanding commitment to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. We stand by that commitment.​

Egypt: Human Rights

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Egypt; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​Egypt is a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Priority Country and the UK continues to urge the Egyptian Government to ensure the full implementation of the rights and freedoms set out in Egypt's constitution. We have concerns about mass detentions and sentencing, prison conditions, access to justice, and restrictions on freedom of expression and the media. We regularly raise these and other issues with the Egyptian Government, both in public and in private, and including at Ministerial level. Our concerns are also raised through our statements at the United Nations Human Rights Council and our Annual Human Rights and Democracy Report, last published on 6 June.

Syria: Children

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to provide psychological support to UK children returning from northern Syria; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Our support will be tailored to the needs of each individual child. A range of specialised support – some of which is funded directly by the Home Office – will be offered to address many concerns ranging from safeguarding and wellbeing to national security.

Egypt: Human Rights

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of Egypt on the detention in that country of writers, opposition figures, lawyers, journalists and other civil society activists.

Dr Andrew Murrison: ​We continue to urge the Egyptian authorities to take action to release journalists and political detainees, review mass judicial decisions, and remove restrictions on civil society. We have raised our serious concerns about recent arrests on several occasions in both London and Cairo, most recently on 23 October. We will use the opportunity of Egypt's Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations Human Rights Council on 13 November to urge the Egyptian Government to improve prison conditions and guarantee freedom of expression.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Sovereignty

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2019 to Question 115, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusion of the International Court of Justice that the right of self-determination was a norm of customary international law in 1965 when the UK detached the Chagos Islands from Mauritius.

Christopher Pincher: We were disappointed that this matter was referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), contrary to the principle that the Court should not consider bilateral disputes without the consent of both States concerned. Nevertheless, the United Kingdom respects the ICJ and participated fully in the ICJ process at every stage and in good faith. An Advisory Opinion is advice provided to the UN General Assembly at its request; it is not a legally binding judgment. The British Government has considered the content of the Opinion carefully, however we do not share the Court’s approach.​

Wildlife: Smuggling

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) works with a wide-range of partners to raise awareness and promote action to tackle the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT). During visits to Asia in September and October, I discussed IWT with ministers in Mongolia and Cambodia, and in Laos I raised awareness with students about the catastrophic impacts the trade has on wildlife populations.We have also worked with international partners to help secure a strong IWT Resolution at this year's United Nations General Assembly. We are increasing our support for Africa-led Green Corridors initiatives to further support wildlife conservation, community development and safe movement of animals across borders. The FCO also supports Defra to deliver projects overseas, including those funded by the IWT Challenge Fund.In 2018 the FCO, together with the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra), and the Department for International Development, convened the largest ever global IWT conference, at which 65 countries and a number of multilateral organisations signed up to the London Declaration.

1 Carlton Gardens: Operating Costs

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the annual running cost of 1 Carlton Gardens was in each of the last 10 years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The annual running costs for 1 Carlton Gardens is shown below. Running costs include rent, maintenance, minor improvement and repair costs, cleaning, security, facilities management charges and utilities. F/Y 2009/10£630,282F/Y 2010/11£751,802F/Y 2011/12£766,524F/Y 2012-13£721,231F/Y 2013-14£740,332F/Y 2014-15£933,736F/Y 2015-16£850,099F/Y 2016-17£984,491F/Y 2017-18£931,655F/Y 2018-19£1,250,204

1 Carlton Gardens: Repairs and Maintenance

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much has been spent on repairs and maintenance of No. 1 Carlton Gardens in each of the last 10 years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​The annual amount spent on repairs and maintenance for 1 Carlton Gardens is shown below. 2009/102010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/162016/172017/182018/19Internal Repair and Maintenance £26,368£16,604£28,455£27,731£28,702£29,706£29,626£23,228£24,051£20,164Mechanical & Electrical Repair and Maintenance £54,606£59,320£75,114£66,341£68,663£71,066£64,156£65,283£63,770£62,624External & Structural Repair and Maintenance £18,140£10,213£8,662£12,981£13,435£13,906£17,639£23,749£11,239£15,539Cleaning £40,965£41,068£31,392£45,189£46,771£48,408£46,414£48,252£51,286£49,477Grounds maintenance £3,633£5,194£1,018£4,060£4,202£4,349£4,128£4,213£4,322£3,576TOTAL (£) £143,711£132,399£144,641£156,302£161,773£167,435£161,963£164,725£154,668£151,380

Chevening

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has spent on its (a) use, (b) maintenance, (c) enhancement and (d) repair of Chevening House in the last 10 years.

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of (a) using, (b) maintaining, (c) making one-off payments for enhancements to and (d) repairing Chevening House in the next five years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: ​Chevening House is not funded by the Government and is the responsibility of its trustees. The Prime Minister decides who occupies the buidling.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Burma

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 707 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Burma, how many proposed transactions involving goods and services have failed that due diligence process in the last year.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Obscure beneficial ownership chains in Myanmar's economy make it difficult to verify with certainty whether a company is linked to the military. In response to the UN Fact Finding Mission's (FFM's) report of 5 August 2019, the British Embassy in Yangon has further strengthened its approach to avoid acquiring goods or services from military-owned companies, including those listed in Annex B of the report.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Burma

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of acquiring goods and services from Burmese military-owned companies in each of the last five years.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: Opaque beneficial ownership chains make it difficult to verify with certainty whether a company is owned by the military or not but we go to great lengths to avoid acquiring goods or services from military-owned companies in Myanmar.​

Jagtar Singh Johal

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last made representations to his Indian counterpart on the continuing detention of Jagtar Singh Johal.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We regularly make representations on Mr Johal's case to the Government of India. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case on 1 August 2019 with the Indian Foreign Minister. On 23 October, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister for South Asia, raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian High Commissioner to the UK. The Minister also met with Mr Johal's family and constituency MP on 24 October.

Kashmir: Human Rights

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last made representations to his Indian counterpart on the human rights of the people of (a) Jammu and (b) Kashmir.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We recognise that there are human rights concerns in both India-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. We encourage all states to ensure domestic laws are in line with international standards. Any allegation of human rights abuse is deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly, transparently and independently.We are monitoring the situation in Kashmir closely and in regular contact with the Governments of India and of Pakistan. The Prime Minister has spoken to Prime Minister Modi about the situation. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns about the situation with the Indian Minister for External Affairs, Dr Jaishankar. The Minister for the Commonwealth, UN and South Asia discussed the situation in Kashmir with the Indian Minister of Minority Affairs during his visit to New Delhi this month; and engages regularly with the Indian High Commissioner. Senior officials remain in frequent contact with the Indian Government and regularly raise our concerns.​

India: Pakistan

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve relations between different faith groups in India and Pakistan.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: We are in regular contact with the governments of India and of Pakistan and encourage both countries to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability. We welcome their recent agreement to allow pilgrims to cross the Kartarpur corridor without the need to obtain a visa.​

Syria: Human Rights

Mr Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the decision taken at the National Security Council in 2012 to collect and store evidence of breaches of international humanitarian law perpetrated during the Syrian conflict, what steps the Government is taking to use that evidence to tackle a culture of impunity.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK is committed to highlighting the appalling violations of international humanitarian law in Syria and to seeing those responsible held to account in the most appropriate jurisdiction. We are providing both political and financial support, including £950,000 to date, to the work of the UN International Impartial and Independent Mechanism which is gathering evidence for the prosecution of persons responsible for the most serious crimes under international law in Syria. This is part of the over £9 million that the UK has contributed since 2012 in support of efforts to gather evidence and assist victims of human rights abuses and violations.

Yemen: Peace Negotiations

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the status of the Stockholm peace process for Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. We fully support the peace process led by the UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, and urge the parties to engage constructively with it. We continue to maintain that a political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis. There can be no military solution to the conflict.​

Yemen: UN Security Council

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths on a new UN Security Council resolution on Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The British Government regularly discusses developments in the UN-led peace process with the Special Envoy. The UK has used its role as penholder at the UN Security Council to help push the Yemen peace process forward. We drafted UN Security Resolutions 2451 and 2452 on Yemen, which were unanimously adopted by Security Council members in December 2018 and January 2019 respectively, and regularly draft UN Security Council statements showing the Council’s support for the UN-led peace process. We are encouraging all parties to comply with existing Security Council Resolutions.

Yemen: UN Security Council

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has for the production of UN Security Council (a) statements and (b) other documents on Yemen during the UK presidency of that Council in November 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: We are exploring options of how best to use our presidency of the UN Security Council to support Martin Griffiths’ efforts. We regularly draft UN Security Council statements showing the Council’s support for the UN-led peace process. On 26 September, the UK co-hosted a political event at the UN General Assembly to coordinate the international community’s support for the UN-led peace process and secured P5 + 3 agreement to a statement that endorsed the Special Envoy’s plan to begin wider political discussions. Our work at the Security Council has helped to corral international support for UN Special Envoy and we will continue to use our role as penholder to support the UN-led peace process.

Yemen: Crimes against Humanity

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable for violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The UK takes alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights law extremely seriously. Whenever the UK receives reports of alleged violations of IHL, we routinely seek information from all credible sources, including from non-governmental and international organisations. In terms of human rights, Lord Ahmad made clear in his statement of 22 October that the overall human rights situation in Yemen remains deeply worrying, but that a political settlement to the conflict will create the conditions for the legitimate Government of Yemen to promote and protect the human rights of all Yemenis.

Burma: Genocide

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with this Gambian counterpart on a potential case of genocide against Burma being brought to the International Court of Justice.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: I am aware that The Gambia is planning on bringing a case before the International Court of Justice as part of an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation initiative but I have not had any discussions with my Gambian counterpart on this issue.​

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Public Appointments

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which public appointments his Department is responsible for.

Julian Smith: As set out in the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019, Northern Ireland Office ministers are responsible for the following appointments: Boundary Commission for Northern IrelandChief Electoral Officer for Northern IrelandEquality Commission for Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland Human Rights CommissionParades Commission for Northern Ireland In addition, under the terms of the Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions Act 2018, and in the absence of Northern Ireland Ministers, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is temporarily responsible for approving a number of critical Northern Ireland appointments as and when they arise.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect on women's safety and well-being in Northern Ireland of the change in law on abortion and the risk that abortion services could be provided by an individual without a medical qualification outside a hospital or abortion clinic.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate the Government has made of the potential number of abortions in Northern Ireland by unregulated practitioners between 22 October 2019 and 31 March 2020 due to the lack of a legal framework.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what legislation covers abortions carried out in Northern Ireland during pregnancies up to the point of viability of an unborn child.

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps the Government has taken to prevent an unqualified individual from providing abortion services in Northern Ireland from 22 October 2019 to 31 March 2020.

Julian Smith: The health and safety of women and girls, and clarity and certainty for the medical profession, is at the forefront of the Government’s approach in complying with the legal duty under section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019. On 7 October 2019, I published guidance on gov.uk/nio on the framework in place during the interim period which aims to provide clarity on the abortion law in Northern Ireland, including on medicine legislation in relation to abortion. While the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland took effect on 22 October 2019, repealing criminal offences specifically relating to procuring abortion does not repeal other relevant criminal laws that exist to protect individuals. For instance, it will remain a criminal offence for anyone to assist or wilfully act to ‘destroy the life of a child then capable of being born alive’, except where the purpose is to preserve the life of the mother ‘in good faith’.We do not expect there to be any additional services available ahead of the new legal framework being in place by 31 March 2020. Existing medical procedures are and will continue to be carefully regulated, and must be carried out by qualified health professionals in regulated premises with appropriate quality and care oversight. Ahead of the new legal framework from 31 March 2020, women and girls resident in Northern Ireland will be able to continue to access services in England, with all costs of the procedure, including travel and, where needed, accommodation, being paid for from 22 October 2019. The Government recognises there are a range of sensitive policy issues that will need to be carefully worked, which is why we will be consulting on the new proposed framework shortly.

Hillsborough Castle

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was allocated to the (a) running, (b) repair and (c) maintenance of Hillsborough Castle from the (i) Historic Royal Palaces fund and (ii) public purse in each of the last 10 years.

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost to the public purse has been of repairs to Hillsborough Castle in each of the last 10 years.

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of running Hillsborough Castle in each of the last 10 years.

Julian Smith: The Northern Ireland Office expenditure on the (a) running, and (b) repairs and (c) maintenance of Hillsborough Castle is shown below: Expenditure10-1111-1212-1313-1414-1515-1616-1717-1818-19 £’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000£’000Running1,5151,3291,3118461,948330309243229Repairs and Maintenance18535031734014928662Total1,7001,6791,6281,1861,962339311329291 Information relating to years before 2010 is not available as the Northern Ireland Office was configured differently prior to the devolution of policing and justice functions. The allocation of monies from the Historic Royal Palaces fund is a matter for its Board of Trustees.

Hillsborough Castle

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much funding has been allocated to Historic Royal Palaces for the (a) management, (b) maintenance, and (c) running of Hillsborough Castle in each year since 2014.

Julian Smith: The funding allocated to Historic Royal Palaces in each year since 2014 for expenditure at Hillsborough Castle is shown below: Expenditure14-1515-1616-1717-1818-19 £’000£’000£’000£’000£’000Management-----Maintenance14928662Running Costs1,58282816815Total1,596918315477

Human Rights: Northern Ireland

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether the provision in paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, enables the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission to consider (a) human rights cases in its own name under sections 3 and 4 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and (b) alleged breaches of Convention rights in relation to primary legislation.

Julian Smith: Yes, it is the intention that the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission will be able to bring human rights cases in its own name to challenge alleged incompatible acts or legislation under the Human Rights Act 1998.

Department of Health and Social Care

*No heading*

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland on the introduction of HPV Primary Screening in Northern Ireland.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of the introduction of HPV primary screening in Northern Ireland.

Jo Churchill: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has not had any direct discussion with the Department of Health in Northern Ireland on the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) primary screening in this jurisdiction.The Northern Ireland Screening Committee has agreed a programme of work to be led by the Northern Ireland Public Health Agency during 2019/20 to inform the development of a policy paper on introducing HPV testing in Northern Ireland cervical screening for consideration by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland in 2020.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made on extending the HPV vaccine to boys.

Jo Churchill: We extended the human papillomavirus vaccination programme to adolescent boys in year 8 from September 2019 and this is currently being rolled out across the country for the 2019-20 academic year.

Breast Cancer: Health Services

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) support provided to people with secondary breast cancer.

Jo Churchill: In September 2019 we announced funding of £200 million for new equipment to drive earlier diagnosis of cancer and improve survival. More than 300 diagnostic machines will be funded across the country, replacing outdated MRI machines, CT scans and breast screening equipment with cutting edge technology.The NHS Long Term Plan sets a clear ambition that where appropriate ever person diagnosed with cancer should have access to personalised care by 2021. Personalised care is made up of four interventions that used to be referred to as the Support Package:- Personalised care and support planning based on holistic needs assessments;- End of treatment summaries;- Health and wellbeing information and support; and- A Cancer Care Review with their general practitioner.The NHS Cancer Programme aims to improve access to cancer Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS) for all cancer patients when they need it, including those with secondary breast cancer. The NHS Long Term Plan commitment is that all patients, including those with secondary cancers, will have access to the right expertise and support, including a CNS or other support worker by 2021.

Cystic Fibrosis: Drugs

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of waiving tax on generic versions of lifesaving cystic fibrosis drugs entering the UK from Argentina on the (a) quality of life and (b) wellbeing of people with cystic fibrosis.

Jo Churchill: Holding answer received on 24 October 2019



The Department has made no such assessment. The United Kingdom’s Government policy is that there is no VAT on drugs prescribed by a qualified professional. HM Treasury keeps all taxes under review but there are no plans to extend the zero rate to other products at this time. Our priority is to ensure that patients have access to medicines which are certified as safe and effective, and which are affordable for the National Health Service. We welcome the announcement of Orkambi.

Fertility: Medical Treatments

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure equity of access to NHS fertility treatment.

Caroline Dinenage: The level of provision of local health services available to patients, including fertility treatment, is, and has been since the 1990s, a matter for local healthcare commissioners. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have a statutory responsibility to commission healthcare services including fertility services that meet the needs of their whole population.The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s guidance for commissioners is a new tool to help them implement the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Fertility Guidelines.On 17 June 2019, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention (Jackie Doyle-Price MP) wrote to the Chief Executives of all CCGs in England to promote the guidance and benchmark price, and strongly encourage them to implement fully the NICE Fertility Guidelines.

Department of Health and Social Care: Jainism and Zoroastrianism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.

Caroline Dinenage: Government Ministers have attended a number of key events coordinated by Jain and Zoroastrian organisations, and officials have invited representatives from both communities to participate in roundtable discussions where relevant issues are discussed.The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The Government values this contribution enormously.There is no central record of meetings to which representatives of the Jain and Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by the Department in the last two years.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commit to a national sexual health strategy to address the rise of sexually transmitted infections in England.

Jo Churchill: We have made excellent progress in some aspects of sexual and reproductive health, for example reducing new HIV infections and teenage pregnancy, but we are concerned about the worrying increases in some sexually transmitted infections. To address this, we will be developing a new sexual health strategy to ensure that people know how to protect themselves and can access the services they need for good sexual and reproductive health.

NHS: Negligence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the financial implications for the NHS of the level of damages payments issued to resolve clinical negligence claims before legal proceedings; and if he will review the NHS policy of avoiding litigation.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The rising costs of clinical negligence are a major concern and something we are committed to tackling, given that National Health Service funds spent on clinical negligence are resources not available for front-line care. In 2018/19 total clinical negligence provision was £83 billion (Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts provision was £77.6 billion). NHS Resolution has a responsibility to settle justified claims fairly and promptly and defend unjustified claims to secure NHS resources. Each case must be considered on its own merits and it is important that a proper investigation is undertaken. NHS Resolution aims to get to the right answer as quickly as possible in every case and to help resolve claims sooner, and without the need for court proceedings. To support this NHS Resolution launched a new mediation service in December 2016.

NHS: Legal Costs

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of paying NHS lawyers regardless of case outcome on (a) incentivising deny-delay-defend behaviour, (b) prolonging indefensible cases and (c) rewarding poor assessment of case merits prior to litigation.

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to pay NHS lawyers by (a) fixed fees, (b) capped fees and (c) conditional fees according to the success of the defence; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nadine Dorries: If the National Health Service gets something wrong and patients are harmed, it is quite right that the NHS is held to account. However, we are concerned about the rising cost associated with clinical negligence and is something we are taking very seriously. NHS Resolution has a responsibility to settle justified claims fairly and promptly and defend unjustified claims to secure NHS resources. In doing so, NHS Resolution is committed to the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including increasing its use of mediation, and consequently, the percentage of claims moving into formal litigation is the lowest it has ever been. In 2018/19, 70.7% of the 15,655 claims settled, both clinical and non-clinical negligence, were resolved with the use of ADR, without the cases going into formal court proceedings and, in these early stages, more cases are resolved without the payment of damages than with payment of damages.

Department of Health and Social Care: Disclosure of Information

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which (a) pharmaceutical companies and (b) companies in related fields has his Department entered into non disclosure agreements with in relation to preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal since July 2016.

Edward Argar: The Department has signed 52 non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in relation to European Union exit. These have been signed with a mixture of trade associations, companies (both pharmaceutical and other) and third sector organisations. The Department routinely signs non-disclosure agreements in order to protect sensitive information, often for commercial reasons or where its disclosure could impact the Department’s relationship with suppliers.The use of NDAs has been particularly relevant for the Department’s EU exit preparations, which have involved dealing with significant amounts of commercially sensitive data from industry stakeholders. This data has informed key policy decisions and helped the Department assess the robustness of our contingency plans.

Department of Health and Social Care: Disclosure of Information

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which health sector trade associations has his Department entered into non disclosure agreements with in relation to preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal since July 2016.

Edward Argar: The Department has signed 52 non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in relation to European Union exit. These have been signed with a mixture of trade associations, companies (both pharmaceutical and other) and third sector organisations. The Department routinely signs non-disclosure agreements in order to protect sensitive information, often for commercial reasons or where its disclosure could impact the Department’s relationship with suppliers.The use of NDAs has been particularly relevant for the Department’s EU exit preparations, which have involved dealing with significant amounts of commercially sensitive data from industry stakeholders. This data has informed key policy decisions and helped the Department assess the robustness of our contingency plans.

NHS: Property

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many requests have been made to transfer to local ownership NHS properties currently owned and managed by NHS Property Services.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what process is in place to authorise the transfer to local ownership of NHS properties currently owned and managed by NHS Property Services.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the guidance used in the consideration of the transfer to local ownership of NHS properties currently owned and managed by NHS Property Services.

Edward Argar: The guidance for National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts on requesting transfer of estate in the ownership of the NHS Property Companies (which includes NHS Property Services is published on the Government website at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/requesting-transfers-of-estate-owned-by-nhs-property-companiesEach transfer will need to be justified individually, showing that there will be clinical and patient benefits that will be drawn out of the estate following transfer through increased flexibility of usage of the estate, and that the property is part of the long term plans for the trust and the local sustainability and transformation plan (STP)/integrated care system (ICS).The trust will not be able to take ownership of a property until all tenants outstanding debts with NHS Property Services have been settled. This should ensure that where properties transfer, the receiving trust has a clean starting point as well as ensuring that NHS Property Services are able to reduce their overall debt position as properties are transferred across.Applicant NHS trusts and foundation trusts will submit business cases to the Department explaining how a transfer of ownership will benefit the local health system and confirming that the transfer would be on the terms set out in the guidance (and set out above). The Department will then decide whether the transfer should take place.To date, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust - for Newmarket Hospital - and Dorset Healthcare Foundation Trust – for Boscombe and Springbourne Health Centre - have had business cases approved and these properties transferred on 30 September 2019.Around 20 other trusts have expressed an interest in the policy and are in the process of considering how they want to proceed.

NHS Property Services

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the terms of reference for the periodic review of NHS Property Services Limited referred to by Sir Chris Wormald in oral evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on 9 September 2019.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the periodic review of NHS Property Services Limited will include analysis of the recent increase in NHS Trusts forming Wholly Owned Subsidiaries to manage their estates and property.

Edward Argar: The scope of the review of NHS Property Services Limited is an update of the strategic context and justification for the company delivery model; a review of the Company’s operational and financial performance; and both with reference to changes to the role and function of the Department since the formation of the company in 2013.National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts occupy about a third of NHS Property Services’ estate as tenants. The Company provides facilities management and other estates services to these properties; the trusts provide elements of these services to NHS Property Services themselves in many cases and these may be delivered through Wholly Owned Subsidiary Companies in areas where these have been established. It is for individual NHS trusts to decide on the best contracting model for the delivery of these services.

NHS Trusts: Subsidiary Companies

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the review of the Addendum to the transactions guidance, for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary, will include an assessment of the role for NHS Property Services.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many applications by NHS Trusts for permission to form a Wholly Owned Subsidiary company to manage property and estates included an appraisal of the option for NHS Property Services to manage the services.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2019 to Question 293629 on NHS Trusts: Subsidiary Companies, what assessment he has made compliance of with transaction guidance of the reviews to include a series of planned meetings with key stakeholders.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2019 to Question 293629 on NHS Trusts: Subsidiary Companies, if he will publish the reviews referred to in paragraph two of the answer.

Edward Argar: Ministers do not have a role in approving Wholly Owned Subsidiary companies created by National Health Service foundation trusts, as this role is delegated to NHS England and NHS Improvement The review of the Addendum to the “Transactions guidance – for trusts forming or changing a subsidiary” will focus on updating the overall approach to subsidiaries to ensure it is appropriate and proportionate. There is no intention to focus the review of the Addendum on subsidiaries delivering management of property and estates. The review of a subsidiary proposal focusses on understanding the level of risk it presents. As part of this, NHS England and NHS Improvement will consider whether the Trust Board has undertaken a detailed options appraisal before deciding that the proposed subsidiary transaction aligns with wider system plans. Whether or not this should include an appraisal of the option for NHS Property Services to manage the services is a matter for the Trust Board, and will depend on the circumstances of each case. No assessment by Ministers has been made of NHS England and NHS Improvement compliance with their transaction guidance. It is for NHS England and NHS Improvement to arrange meetings with the Trust board and other key stakeholders, so that they better understand the Trust’s proposals for its Wholly Owned Subsidiary and the risks involved.NHS trust business cases provided to NHS Improvement for review are commercially sensitive; NHS England and NHS Improvement do not disclose details of the business cases nor their review of them.

Hospitals: Construction

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to to the Answer of 8 October 2019 to Question 293621 on Hospitals: Construction, what estimate he has made of the amount of VAT that will be payable in relation to the 40 hospital building projects.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 8 October 2019 to Question 293621 on Hospitals: Construction, if he will publish the criteria referred to in paragraph five of the answer.

Edward Argar: Funding in relation to the 40 hospital building projects and other capital schemes includes provision for VAT under current VAT rules and recovery will be assessed for each scheme in line with current guidelines. Our funding allocation for the Health Infrastructure Plan (HIP) has been built up by overall cost estimates of the schemes inclusive of VAT, however the amount of VAT that will be payable will be determined once schemes have been fully scoped.The criteria used to arrive at the 21 projects covering 34 hospitals, identified to receive seed funding to kick start their schemes considered various aspects. The estates and facilities running costs were a factor, and backlog - in particular, Critical Infrastructure Risk (a subset of the highest risk elements of backlog with a potential for significant impact, e.g. fire safety). Other areas considered were unused and functionally unsuitable space and incidents having an impact on clinical services. Furthermore, the list was checked to ensure regions were fairly represented. All this took place with engagement through National Health Service regional teams taking their view on overall investment need and local prioritisation.

Abortion: Northern Ireland

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment the Government has made of the equity of provisions regulating providers of private abortion services in Northern Ireland and England and Wales from 22 October 2019 to 31 March 2020.

Caroline Dinenage: Given that the Northern Ireland Executive was not restored by 21 October 2019, section 9 of the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act has now come into force, providing for the decriminalisation of abortion in Northern Ireland in relation to sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. The United Kingdom Government is now under a duty to bring forward regulations to introduce a new legal framework for abortion in Northern Ireland by 31 March 2020. The UK Government has also published guidance for healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland on abortion law for the period 22 October 2019 to 31 March 2020 which can be viewed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-the-law-in-northern-irelandThis makes clear that abortion services are not expected to be routinely available in Northern Ireland before 31 March 2020. Accordingly, no comparative assessment has been made of the equity of provisions regulating providers of private abortion services in Northern Ireland and England and Wales from 22 October 2019 to 31 March 2020.

Royal Liverpool Hospital

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to call an inquiry into the demolition of construction by Carillion at the new Liverpool Royal Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: Following the collapse of Carillion, the Government agreed to support the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital Trust’s decision to end its private finance initiative (PFI) deal, and also the Trust’s activities to arrange for the completion of the construction of the new hospital including any required demolition of earlier construction.The National Audit Office are currently carrying out an investigation with a scope that includes the Government’s response after the collapse of Carillion, the subsequent letting of the new contracts. This report is expected to be published in November 2019.The Trust have worked with the replacement contractor Laing O’Rourke and external advisers in undertaking a fully costed assessment of all the works needed to complete the new Royal Liverpool hospital. This assessment will be set out in a business case, which the Trust intends to submit to NHS Improvement and the Department for approval soon.NHS Improvement and the Department are liaising closely with the Trust to ensure that the hospital is completed as soon as is possible.

Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Misuse

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a transfer to his Department of responsibility for drug and alcohol policy.

Jo Churchill: Transfer of responsibility for the lead on drugs policy from the Home Office to the Department of Health and Social Care is a recommendation of the Health and Social Care Committee’s recent inquiry on drugs. We will respond to the Committee’s recommendations shortly.

Genetics: Screening

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for the (a) the roll-out and (b) publication of progress reports on the Genomic Healthcare Strategy.

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Genomic Healthcare Strategy will ensure that genomics is included in routine care in the NHS.

Caroline Dinenage: The Genomic Healthcare Strategy is in the final stages of preparation and its publication is planned for later this year. The National Genomics Board will oversee delivery of the Strategy and will receive regular progress reports regarding its implementation. One important goal for the Strategy will be to bring together the Government’s future ambitions for genomics as well as existing genomics commitments. Genomic testing is already in use in the National Health Service as part of the diagnostic pathway and the NHS Long Term Plan sets out the ambition to embed genomic medicine, including whole genome sequencing, into routine clinical care. It is expected that within the next year whole genome sequencing (WGS) will begin to be available for: - Seriously ill children likely to have a rare genetic disorder;- People with one of 21 rare conditions where current evidence supports early adoption of WGS as a diagnostic test; and- People with specific types of cancer for which there is likely to be the greatest patient benefit from using WGS – children with cancer, sarcoma, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Through implementation of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service, NHS England and NHS Improvement is ensuring consistent and equitable access to genomic testing.

Genetics: Screening

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been tested at each Genomic Laboratory Hub in each month since October 2018.

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have been offered target treatment following diagnosis within the new Genomic Laboratory Hubs in each month since October 2018.

Caroline Dinenage: NHS England and NHS Improvement do not currently collect patient level information from the Genomic Laboratory Hubs (GLH). As part of the transition to the new GLH infrastructure, we are working closely with the GLHs to define the management information which will be collected to monitor and support continued improvement of the NHS Genomic Medicine Service.

Colonoscopy: Waiting Lists

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients waited more than six weeks for a colonoscopy in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: This information is not available in the format requested.

General Practitioners: Conditions of Employment

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made in the renegotiation of the GP contract with the British Medical Association.

Jo Churchill: NHS England will soon start formal negotiations with the General Practitioner Committee of the British Medical Association on the 2020/21 GP contract. The Government is in the process of setting out to NHS England its priorities for the improvement and transformation of general practice. The 2020/21 contract will seek to build on the ambitious programme of reform that was set out in the five-year framework. This framework was published in January of this year. In particular, the 2020/21 contract will see the introduction of recommendations from the Review of Vaccination and Immunisations and the Access Review.

Mental Illness: Mothers

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle maternal mental illness.

Ms Nadine Dorries: We invested £11.98 billion into mental health care in 2017-18 and £12.5 billion in 18/19. These increases are being driven by the additional £1 billion between 2017-2021 to support the Five Year Forward View, which includes £290 million for perinatal services. From April 2019, new and expectant mothers have already been able to access specialist perinatal mental health community services in every part of the country. The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment for a further 24,000 women to be able to access specialist perinatal mental health care by 2023/24, building on the additional 30,000 women who will access these services each year by 2020/21 under pre-existing plans. Specialist care will also be available from preconception to 24 months after birth, which will provide an extra year of support.

Mental Illness: Mothers

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of whether there is a link between maternal mental health and children's outcomes.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health (2016) recognises that maternal ‘mental health problems not only affect the health of mothers but can also have longstanding effects on children’s emotional, social and cognitive development.’ The first 1,000 days of life are a critical time for brain development, and parents and carers have a fundamental role to play in supporting their child’s early development. Ensuring that all women receive access to the right type of care during the perinatal period is therefore a key Government priority. Reducing the impact of maternal mental health problems during pregnancy and the first two years of life is important for infant mental health and future adolescent and adult mental health. The NHS Long Term Plan includes a commitment for a further 24,000 women to be able to access specialist perinatal mental health care by 2023/24, building on the additional 30,000 women who will access these services each year by 2020/21 under pre-existing plans.

Electronic Cigarettes: Drugs

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many times ambulance services have been called to (a) a school and (b) other locations for an incident in relation to vaping fluid laced with (i) cannabis and (ii) Spice in the last 12 months.

Edward Argar: This information is not collected centrally.

Vaccination: Private Sector

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what regulations apply to the sale of vaccinations by private companies.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The sale of vaccines is regulated by the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. The regulations apply without distinction to the National Health Service and the private healthcare sector. As prescription only medicines, the general rule is that they may only be sold or supplied to an individual by or under the supervision of a pharmacist on registered pharmacy premises against a prescription written by an independent prescriber. There are some exceptions to these restrictions for example, to allow a doctor to supply directly to a patient.The majority of vaccines are injectable which means they can only be administered by or in accordance with the directions of an independent prescriber.

NHS: Infrastructure

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what review his Department has undertaken of the (a) business cases for primary care infrastructure improvements planned as new Local Improvement Finance Trust projects and (b) their eligibility for funding through the Government's Health Infrastructure Plan published 30 September 2019.

Edward Argar: Following the Chancellor’s commitment that new off-balance sheet public private partnership funded infrastructure projects, where the taxpayer ultimately bears the financial risk, will not be taken forward, the two active Local Improvement Finance Trust projects (Heston and West Hull) were informed in June that they could not be delivered through that contract.The Department has not undertaken a review of their business cases as they were below its delegated limit, with such reviews undertaken by NHS England and NHS Improvement.All National Health Service providers are encouraged to continue developing their schemes and discussing their proposals with the regional NHS England and NHS Improvement team, to help them be ready for future opportunities. The full shape of investment opportunities under the Health Infrastructure Plan programme will be confirmed when the Department receives a multiyear capital settlement at the next capital review.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

James Duddridge: DExEU is committed to being a diverse and inclusive organisation. We welcome staff from all backgrounds and religions. We are committed to ensuring that staff from all religions find DExEU to be a supportive and inclusive place to work which is evidenced by the work from our Religious Diversity network and Diversity & Inclusion Strategy.Based on self-declaration rates on the Department for Exiting the European Union’s HR systems the number of staff in DExEU who declared their religion as Islam is 24.Of these 24 staff, 16 have declared their ethnicity as Asian/Asian British. Fewer than five have declared their ethnicity in any other group.Of the 24 staff declaring their religion as Islam, the grade breakdown is:7 B1 (EO Equivalent)12 B2 (HEO/ SEO Equivalent)Fewer than five have declared their religion as Islam in any other grade.These figures are based entirely on staff voluntarily declaring their religion and ethnicity on the Department’s HR systems.

Economic Situation

Jane Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent impact assessment his Department has conducted on the potential effect of the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the Atomic Energy Community, published on 19 October 2019 on the economy.

James Duddridge: Leaving with a deal is the best outcome for both the UK and the EU, providing certainty for businesses and the UK economy.On Monday 21st October 2019, the Government published an Impact Assessment to accompany the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill. It provides an assessment of the direct costs and benefits to businesses of the elements of the Bill.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Jainism and Zoroastrianism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.

James Duddridge: Government Ministers have attended a number of key events coordinated by Jain and Zoroastrian organisations, and officials from MHCLG have invited representatives from both communities to participate in roundtable discussions where relevant issues are discussed.The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made, and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The Government values this contribution enormously.

Brexit: North West

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether he has made an assessment of the potential economic effect of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill on the North West of England.

James Duddridge: The Government's Withdrawal Agreement Bill Impact Assessment, which was published on Monday 21st October 2019, includes a discussion of the impacts on businesses and individuals across the UK.

European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to publish a detailed impact assessment for the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

James Duddridge: On Monday 21st October 2019, the Government published an Impact Assessment to accompany the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill. It provides an assessment of the direct costs and benefits to businesses of the elements of the Bill.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff in his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

James Duddridge: There are no staff working for the Department who are paid less than the London Living Wage.The Department does not hold information relating to the rate of pay for those employed by third party agencies or outsourcing arrangements as these would be agreed and held locally by the relevant organisations.

Manufactured Goods: Rules of Origin

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to page 7 of the Political Declaration, whether the appropriate and modern rules of origin proposed will apply to UK manufactured goods being exported to the EU; and if he will make a statement.

James Duddridge: The revised Political Declaration makes clear that a future ‘ambitious, broad, deep and flexible’ relationship will have a ‘comprehensive and balanced’ Free Trade Agreement at its core.Any new Rules of Origin commitments will be a matter for future negotiations, but the Government will work with industry to ensure an outcome is reached that represents business interests across the UK.

Brexit

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will publish a list of the stakeholders consulted in advance of the publication of the European Union Withdrawal Agreement Bill on 21 October 2019.

James Duddridge: Since July 2016 - The Department for Exiting the European Union has organised over 850 recorded engagements with business and civil society stakeholders from every sector of the British economy since July 2016, and DExEU Ministers have attended over 120 roundtable meetings on a wide range of topics.Regular forums have been held with over 70 intermediaries, trade associations and business organisations.These engagements have informed all aspects of our exit from the European Union, including the Withdrawal Agreement, and provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

Department for Education

Languages: After School Clubs

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he will allocate funding to the teaching of (a) Gujarati, (b) Farsi, (c) Punjabi and (d) Urdu at clubs taking place (i) at the weekend and (ii) after school; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: Studying a foreign language can be extremely rewarding. Languages provide an insight into other cultures and can open the door to travel and employment opportunities. They can also broaden pupils’ horizons, helping them flourish in new environments.This is why the Department made languages compulsory at Key Stage 2, and also why languages, including community languages, are included in the English Baccalaureate.

Educational Institutions: Sanitary Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the contract summary of the Period Product provision to schools and post-16 education institutions across England, which company was awarded the contract following the invitation to tender; on what date that contract started; whether the contract awarded was for the provision of environmentally sustainable and reusable menstrual products; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government has listened to concerns from teachers, pupils, students and parents about how the costs of period products can impact on education. No-one should be held back from reaching their potential, which is why the Department has announced a scheme to provide access to free period products in schools and 16-19 institutions in England.Following a competitive tender exercise, a contract was agreed with Personal Hygiene Services Ltd on the 15 October 2019 for the provision of period products. The scheme will roll out to schools and 16-19 institutions in January 2020. A wide range of products, including environmentally friendly pads and tampons, as well as reusable products such as reusable pads will be available.Schools and 16-19 institutions know their pupils and students best and will therefore have the freedom to select the most suitable products, taking account of age, individual needs, cost and type of product. The Department will provide guidance, to be published later this year, which will support institutions to make these decisions and implement the scheme effectively.The Department will be monitoring product choice closely and will continue to seek opportunities to encourage the use of sustainable products as the scheme develops.

Department for Education: Jainism and Zoroastrianism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.

Chris Skidmore: The information requested is not held centrally as each event is handled on a case by case basis.The government is committed to working with all communities and ensuring that the full breadth and diversity is represented. The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The government values this contribution enormously.

Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many councils have reduced funding for educational support for visually impaired children in England in the last three years.

Michelle Donelan: Spending by local authorities on children and young people with additional needs is recorded in the local authority’s section 251 return. That does not break down spending by type of need, so we are unable to confirm the level of spending on visual impairment.Since 2015-16, our high needs funding has risen from £5.2 billion to £6.3 billion. Next year, high needs funding will rise by £780 million to over £7 billion, with every local authority seeing a minimum funding increase of 8% per head of population aged 2 to 18 years old.

Special Educational Needs: Visual Impairment

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report entitled Left out of learning: FOI 2019 report published by RNIB in October 2019, what steps he is taking to ensure (a) adequate and (b) equitable provision of specialists to support children with vision impairment throughout the UK.

Michelle Donelan: We want all schools to have a workforce fully equipped to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and are working with various organisations, including the National Sensory Impairment Partnership, to make sure that is the reality. The Children and Families Act 2014 requires local authorities to work with parents, young people, and providers to keep the provision for children and young people with SEND under review, including its sufficiency. We have recently announced a £780 million increase to local authorities’ high needs funding, boosting the budget by 12% and bringing the total spent on supporting those with the most complex needs to over £7 billion for 2020-21. We do not prescribe in detail how local authorities should allocate their high needs funding. In consultation with schools and other services, local authorities should consider carefully how best to meet the needs of children and young people in their area, including those with vision impairment.

Special Educational Needs

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of children that will be eligible for an education health and care plan in (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23, (e) 2023-24 and (f) 2024-25.

Michelle Donelan: The information requested is not held centrally by the Department for Education.

Special Educational Needs: Apprentices

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 31 of the Government's Loneliness strategy, what progress he has made on encouraging employers to offer work placements and apprenticeships to young people with special educational needs or disabilities.

Michelle Donelan: We are aiming to increase the proportion of apprenticeships started by people with a learning disability or learning difficulty (LDD) to 20% by 2020. During the first 3 quarters of 2018/19, 12.3% of starts were by apprentices who identified as having LDD, up from 11.5% reported at the same time last year. Traineeships support young people identified as having LDD to gain work experience through work placements. In 2017/18, 21% of starts were by young people who identified as having LDD. To support employers to offer opportunities to people with LDD, the department is funding a range of resources for employers on work experience, traineeships, apprenticeships and employment for those with LDD. We are also funding the Learning and Work Institute to create an employer toolkit on widening participation. We are also continuing to work with Mencap to take forward the recommendations from their July report to make apprenticeships more accessible.We continue to provide financial support to training providers where an apprentice requires additional support to help remove barriers for people with LDD. Up to £150 a month may be paid to training providers to fund additional support. In specific circumstances, this amount can rise to £19,000 per year if necessary. Providers and employers recruiting apprentices aged 19 to 24 with Education, Health and Care plans continue to receive an additional payment of £1000. Providers and employers who recruit 16 to 18 year olds receive £1000 regardless of whether they have LDD.

Universities: Racial Discrimination

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that universities investigate all complaints made by students and staff about racism at universities.

Chris Skidmore: Racial harassment is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate staff and students being victims of it at our world-leading universities. There is no place in our society - including within higher education (HE) – for hatred or any form of harassment, discrimination or racism. Universities have clear responsibilities in this regard. HE providers in England are independent and autonomous. They are responsible for addressing student complaints and for meeting their responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010. The government expects providers to discharge their responsibilities fully and have robust policies and procedures in place to handle student complaints, comply with the law and to investigate and swiftly address incidents reported to them. Where a student complaint cannot be resolved through the institution’s complaint processes, the student can ask for their complaint to be reviewed by the Office for the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) for HE in England. As a result of the government‘s recent HE reforms, all HE providers on the HE Regulator’s register, the Office for Students (OfS), are required to join the OIA.The government will continue to work closely with partners, including Universities UK and the OfS, to drive progress on matters of racial harassment in HE.

Special Educational Needs: Employment and Training

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to increase the (a) quantity and (b) quality of employment and training opportunities for SEND students over the age of 16.

Michelle Donelan: The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice explicitly states that all children and young people with SEND, whether or not they have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, should be prepared for adulthood, including employment. We know that with the right preparation and support, the overwhelming majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustained paid employment. All professionals working with them should share that presumption and should provide the career advice and support that help young people to develop the skills and experience, and achieve the qualifications, that they need to succeed in their careers.Work-based learning is available through personalised study programmes for all young people aged 16 to 19, or up to age 25 if the young person has an EHC plan. This includes:Supported Internships – these are structured study programmes, based primarily at an employer. They equip young people who have an EHC plan with the skills they need for work, through learning in the workplace. In December 2017, the department provided an additional £9.7 million to local authorities to train job coaches and establish supported internship forums, bringing together local partners to develop and deliver supported internships in their area. Traineeships - these support young people aged 16-24 (25 with an EHC plan) by providing quality training for young people who need to develop their skills and experience to access apprenticeships and other sustainable employment. The department is currently considering how the programme can provide a more effective pathway into apprenticeships. We are also considering greater flexibility and employer involvement in the design, whilst retaining what currently works. We have also taken steps to ensure apprenticeships are accessible to those with an EHC plan or legacy statement. This includes adjusting the minimum English and maths requirements to Entry Level 3 Functional Skills if they struggle to achieve the regular English and maths minimum requirements but can otherwise meet the occupational standards of the apprenticeship. We have also funded Mencap, to help colleges arrange work experience placements for learners with SEND.However, we know there is more to do and that is why in September, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a cross-government review of provision for children and young people with SEND, to ensure that they are supported to thrive and prepare for adulthood, including employment.

Social Media: Harassment

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the statutory guidance for 2020 on (a) Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and (b) Health Education will include guidance on online abuse and threats on (i) Twitter and (ii) other social media.

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what advice is included in the statutory guidance for 2020 on (a) Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education and (b) Health Education to minimise social media harassment of young adults using Twitter.

Nick Gibb: The Department wants schools to equip their pupils with the knowledge needed to make the best use of the internet and technology in a safe, considered and respectful way. Through the guidance for the new subjects of relationships education, relationships and sex education and health education, teachers will address online safety and appropriate behaviour in an age appropriate way.This topic is threaded throughout the guidance which sets out, for example, that pupils should be taught about the rules and principles for keeping safe online, including how to recognise risks, harmful content and behaviours, and how and to whom to report issues. Pupils should also be made aware of the relevant legal provisions when key topics are being taught, including online behaviours.The guidance also refers to some key publications about internet safety which can be used by teachers and others in teaching about this topic. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education. This teaching will complement the existing computing curriculum, which covers the principles of online safety at all key stages, with progression in the content to reflect the different and escalating risks that pupils face. This includes how to use technology safely, responsibly, respectfully and securely, and where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.There are other curriculum subjects which include content relevant to teaching pupils how to use the internet appropriately and safely. For example, citizenship education covers media literacy, distinguishing fact from opinion and the role and responsibility of the media in informing and shaping public opinion.The Department has also published non-statutory guidance, ‘Teaching Online Safety’ in schools. This outlines how schools can ensure their pupils understand how to stay safe and behave online, as part of these existing curriculum requirements and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teaching-online-safety-in-schools.

Universities: Racial Harassment

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report entitled, Tackling harassment: universities challenged; and what steps he is taking to ensure that university staff receive adequate training to deal effectively with racial harassment.

Chris Skidmore: Racial harassment is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate staff and students being victims of it at our world-leading universities. There is no place in our society - including within higher education (HE) – for hatred or any form of harassment, discrimination or racism. Universities have clear responsibilities in this regard.As independent institutions, HE providers are responsible for training and development opportunities available for their staff. We encourage providers to make use of tools such as the Race Equality Charter and the Race at Work Charter to identify and address institutional and cultural barriers that affect minority ethnic staff and students.We will continue to work closely with partners, including Universities UK and the Office for Students on matters of harassment and hate crime in HE.The Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers recognises the need to create and develop positive environments and cultures in which all researchers can flourish and achieve their full potential. This includes having effective policies and practice for tackling discrimination, bullying and harassment and providing appropriate support for those reporting issues.By improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff within HE we can ensure that everyone who has the potential to thrive at university, both as a student and as a member of staff, does so.

Special Educational Needs: Autism

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will provide guidance to schools and colleges on good SEN support for children and young people who are on the autism spectrum.

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will develop a model of what good social care looks like for children and young people on the autism spectrum.

Michelle Donelan: The department is committed to promoting effective special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support within schools and colleges, and good social care provision for all, including autistic children and young people. The department has issued guidance that encompasses all forms of SEND.The SEND Code of Practice (2014) places a duty on schools and colleges to use their best endeavours to support all pupils with SEND, including those with autism. Support should be focused on the needs of individual children and young people, which can vary enormously even for those who have the same condition and where they may have more than one condition. This means that the educational interventions that may be effective for one child will not necessarily work for another with the same diagnosis. This need for a flexible and child-centred approach is why, as a department, we do not prescribe specific guidance on supporting particular conditions.In order to support schools and colleges to put in place good practice for supporting autistic children and young people according to their individual needs, the department have, since 2011, funded the Autism Education Trust to deliver autism training to over 239,000 education staff, to provide resources for practitioners and education settings, and to develop communities of practice to facilitate mutual support and shared learning in good support for autism.In terms of ensuring good social care practice, all children and young people, including those with autism, should have access to the support they need to keep them safe, ensure their wellbeing and overcome challenges to achieving their potential, as informed by the Children Act (1989), Children and Families Act (2014) and Care Act (2014). Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018) sets out how local authorities should provide effective, evidence-based services to protect and promote the welfare of children, including children with autism.There are several developments currently underway, which will be of benefit to autistic children and young people (and their families). The department is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care to produce an all ages Autism Strategy which will outline how education, health and social care systems will work to improve support for, and reduce inequalities experienced by autistic people. Alongside the Autism Strategy, a major review of the SEND system, announced in September 2019 and due to report in spring 2020, is aimed at improving support for children with SEND, including those with autism.We recently announced a £780 million increase to local authorities’ high needs funding, boosting the budget by 12% and bringing the total spent on supporting those with the most complex needs to over £7 billion for 2020-21.

Thomas Cook: Insolvency

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 378, what estimate he has made of the number of apprentices employed by Thomas Cook, and how many of those apprentices were based at the company's headquarters in Peterborough.

Ms Lisa Forbes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 378 on Apprentices and Training: Peterborough, what additional funding he plans to allocate to offer re-training opportunities for former Thomas Cook headquarters employees.

Michelle Donelan: We currently estimate that the collapse of Thomas Cook has affected 158 apprentices of which 49 are based in the Thomas Cook head office in Peterborough. The remainder are based across the country, including 62 who are on travel consultant apprenticeships in their stores. Hays Travel have bought all 555 Thomas Cook stores across the UK, safeguarding up to 2500 jobs, including those of apprentices. We are liaising with Hays Travel to ensure a smooth transfer for the apprentices affected. We have established a dedicated mailbox for individual enquiries from Thomas Cook apprentices. Ongoing support is also available through the National Careers Service, who will provide information, advice and guidance on learning, training and work. Although there are no plans to make additional funding available specifically for the re-training of Thomas Cook employees, we are working to ensure that apprenticeship funding is available to support those affected. The availability of apprenticeship opportunities is determined by employers. A number of other employers in the sector, and in related areas, have offered job opportunities to affected apprentices and we will work with these employers to ensure that all apprentices are supported to complete their apprenticeship. Cambridge and Peterborough are one of 6 Mayoral Combined Authorities where the Adult Education Budget has been devolved. This will assist them in directly supporting adults in developing their skills, reducing skills shortages, boosting productivity and economic prosperity and improving wellbeing in their community.

Selective Schools Expansion Fund

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of funding was allocated from the Selective Schools Expansion Fund since that fund has been established; and how much such funding each school has received from that fund.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many school places his Department has estimated will be created through the Selective Schools Expansion Fund (a) in total and (b) at each of those schools awarded such funding.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many of the grammar schools that have been awarded funding from the Selective Schools Expansion have planned to build capacity on (a) their existing site and (b) a satellite site.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria his Department uses to assess whether expansion to a satellite site is part of an existing school; and if he will publish his Department's assessment of the bid from Weald of Kent grammar for its satellite site in Sevenoaks which was granted permission in 2015.

Nick Gibb: The Selective Schools Expansion Fund (SSEF) 2018-19 has provided funding of £49.3 million for 16 expansion projects to date. The Department has not published the amount of funding allocated to each school as this is commercially sensitive information.The Department estimates that SSEF funding will create over 2,700 more good school places. The number of school places created at individual schools will be announced as part of each school’s published admission numbers following completion of the expansion project.All of the 16 successful projects have planned to build capacity on their existing sites. There are no expansion projects on satellite sites.Details of the Selective Schools Expansion Fund for 2019-20 is due to be announced during the autumn. Information will be available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/selective-schools-expansion-fund.The factors taken into account when assessing whether a proposal to expand onto a satellite site is a genuine expansion are provided in our guidance “Making significant changes to an open academy and closure by mutual agreement,” available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/751304/Making_significant_changes_and_closure_academy.pdf.The former Secretary of State for Education (Nicky Morgan), my right hon. Friend the Secretary for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport made a statement in the house in October 2015, outlining the reasons for the decision to approve the expansion of the Weald of Kent Grammar school. The statement is available here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2015-10-19/debates/15101917000002/SchoolExpansion#contribution-15101917000003. The Department has no plans to publish any further information about the decision to approve the expansion of the Weald of Kent grammar school.

Football and Rugby: Females

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the level of access to high-quality coaches for girls in (a) football and (b) rugby in (i) single sex and (ii) mixed secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not collect information on the use of coaches in schools and has not made a specific assessment of their availability for girls. Schools have a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to allow girls equal opportunities to participate in comparable sporting activities to boys. Many primary schools are using their Physical Education and School Sport Premium funding to target less active groups. In our survey on use of the premium, 31% of schools reported that they used their funding to target girls: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pe-and-sport-premium-an-investigation-in-primary-schools. The School Sport and Activity Action Plan, published in July 2019, set out actions to support schools to work more closely with sports clubs and providers to increase access to high quality team sport. The Government is continuing to work to promote girls’ and women’s sport more widely. Sport England will provide £1 million funding to help girls’ confidence to take part in sport and activity as part of the successful This Girl Can campaign, which has already inspired over 3.9 million women and girls to take steps to get active.

School Exclusions Review

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many departmental staff are working on implementing the recommendations of the Timpson review of school exclusions; and which directorate is responsible for that work.

Nick Gibb: The Behaviour, Attendance, Exclusion and Alternative Provision Division of the Department for Education is the lead division taking forward the Government's programme of action on behaviour, exclusions and alternative provision. As of September 2019, this division had 32 members of staff, and sits in the Strategy, Social Mobility & Disadvantage directorate. The recommendations of the Timpson review of school exclusion are wide-ranging, and it is not possible to record how much time individual staff will spend working on them, as this work will be carried out in addition to other duties. Staff from across the Department will also contribute to the work on an ad hoc basis.

GCE A-level: Gujarati

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people took A-level Gujurati in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: For the last five academic years for which data is available (2013/14 - 2017/18), the number of students who have a recorded grade between A* and E for A-Level Gujarati is shown in the table below. Academic Year1Student2 count with A*-E grade2013/14102014/15112015/1692016/1762017/186 Notes:1 Final versions of the data was used for each academic year and includes all schools and colleges in England;2 Covers students aged 16 to 18 at the beginning of the academic year, i.e. 31 August.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners' Release: Universal Credit

Mr Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the proportion of prisoners who leave custody each month who (a) are eligible for universal credit and (b) apply for that benefit at the point of their release from prison.

Lucy Frazer: We recognise that many prison leavers rely on the benefits system to ensure they are able to pay for accommodation and living costs upon release from custody. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure prisoners can access Universal Credit as soon as possible on release. We do not, however, hold data on the proportion of prisoners who leave custody each month who (a) are eligible for universal credit or (b) apply for that benefit at the point of their release from prison centrally and this information could only be obtained at disproportionate costs. Although the data is not directly comparable, statistics from the 2013 MoJ/DWP/HMRC data share suggested that demand for out-of-work benefits is high. The report found that over half of offenders released from prison were claiming out-of-work benefits one month after release and that two-thirds of working age offenders claimed at least one out-of-work benefit at some point in the two years following their conviction/caution or release from prison in 2010/2011.

Prisoners' Release: Universal Credit

Mr Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on arrangements for prisoners to apply for universal credit (a) prior to and (b) no later than their release from custody.

Lucy Frazer: Ministry of Justice and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ministers regularly meet, the last time being in July 2019, and will meet again soon. In the July meeting, both departments were keen to progress work to better prepare prisoners for release, including improving access to Universal Credit. The DWP has piloted a number of changes that will support offenders making claims prior to release. We are working closely with the DWP to take forward the learning from these pilots. One area that the pilots highlighted was the important role that dedicated DWP Prison Work Coaches play in our prison system to ensure access to Universal Credit. We continue to work with DWP to help support these work coaches, and to ensure they have both the right physical environment and information on and access to prisoners required for efficient working. In July 2019, we published the National Partnership Agreement with the DWP. This sets out how the departments will collaborate to improve access to Universal Credit for prison leavers to ensure they have timely access to financial support on release.

Television: Licensing

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were for the non-payment of TV licence fees (i) in total and (ii) of women in each year from 1999 to 2009.

Chris Philp: The number of prosecutions, convictions and sentencing outcomes for Television licence evasion for each year from 2008 to 2018 are available in the Outcomes by Offence data tool: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802314/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx Select ‘191A Television licence evasion’ in the Offence filter; prosecutions can be found in row 24 and convictions are in row 25.To see these figures for females, select ’02: Female’ in the Sex filter. The number of people prosecuted and convicted for TV licence evasion in the years between 1999 and 2007 by sex can be found in the attached tables.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 22.96 KB)

Television: Licensing

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) people and (b) women have been imprisoned by Magistrates’ Courts in England and Wales for the non-payment of TV licence evasion fines in each month in (i) each year since 1995 and (ii) 2019 to date.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) people and (b) women were sent to prison for the non-payment of a magistrates’ court fine arising from a conviction for evasion of payment of TV licence fees in each year since 1995.

Chris Philp: The information requested can be found in the table attached. Furthermore, Sentencing is a matter for independent judges who take the full facts of each case into account.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 24.14 KB)

Committal Proceedings

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many committal orders were made by Magistrates’ Courts in England and Wales against women for default of payment of fines (a) in total (b) in relation to a conviction for the non-payment of (i) a TV licence fee fine and (ii) council tax in each year since 1995.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many committal orders were made by magistrates’ courts in England and Wales for default of payment of fines (a) in total, (b) for a conviction for the non-payment of a TV licence fee fine and (c) for the non-payment of council tax in each year since 1995.

Chris Philp: HMCTS can provide data from 2009. Information prior to 2009 is held on legacy systems and is not collated centrally. Such data could only be provided at disproportionate cost.The number of committal orders made (counted by committal warrants issued) for default of payment of fines since 2009 is below. It is not possible to extract information about committal warrants issued in relation to a conviction for the non-payment of a TV Licence fee without disproportionate cost. The number of committal orders made (determined as committal warrants issued) in relation to the non-payment of council tax is also below.  YearTotal number of Fine Default Committal Warrants IssuedNumber of Fine Default Committal Warrants Issued against females.Total Number of Council Tax Committal Warrants IssuedNumber of Council Tax Committal Warrants Issued against females.2009 19,7579438921201013,1171,14212243201113,5721,18210833201214,1691,23410738201313,3761,24510836201414,1221,2368929201512,7671,0856922201612,4631,04311242201711,837844411120189,30854816~2019 23,6512088~ 1 2009 is for the period 1st April to 31st December 2009. 2 2019 is for the period 1st January to 30th June 2019:  Data Notes:Data are taken from a live management information system and can change over time.Data are management information and are not subject to the same level of checks as official statistics.The data provided are the most recent available and for that reason might differ slightly from any previously published information.The Fine Default and Council Tax data provided is a count of the number of committal warrants issued.For data from 1st April 2009 onwards, TV Licensing is the prosecutor, and the enforcer of the debt, so they would hold the detail that is required. HMCTS is only able to provide the number of prosecutions brought by the TV Licensing, and how many resulted in imprisonment.Information as to outstanding debt is not recorded within HMCTS statistics available through Libra. Files not destroyed under the retention schedule (e.g. within three years old) would have to be checked on a court by court basis.It is possible to identify committals in relation to Council Tax because Council Tax data is not a subset of the Fine Enforcement data; it is based on a Civil process in the magistrates’ courts rather than the enforcement of unpaid fines, and hence has different Libra offence codes.Information prior to 1st April 2009 is held on legacy systems and is not collated centrally.The data extract for this PQ included gender. However, generic titles such as Doctor, Reverend etc which would not determine the gender are not included within the data. Therefore, only where Female has been specified has this been used in the Female table.

Television: Licensing

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of TV licence fee evasion cases have been dealt with under the single justice procedure in each year since 2015.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of cases dealt with via the Single Justice Procedure are TV licence fee evasion cases in each year from 2015 to 2019.

Chris Philp: The number and proportion of cases dealt with via the Single Justice Procedure for TV licence fee evasion cases in each year from 2015 to 2019 is as follows: Calendar YearTotal TVL CasesSJP TVL Case% of cases via SJP2015190,940-0%2016174,31568,99739.6%2017140,083134,08495.7%2018131,195126,50996.4%2019163,76461,46296.4%12019 is for the period 1 January to 30th June Data Notes:a. Data are taken from a live management information system and can change over time.b. Data are management information and are not subject to the same level of check as official statistics.c. The data provided are the most recent available and for that reason might differ slightly from any previously published information.d. Cases received on new systems for the period December 2018 to June 2019 have been included.

Television: Licensing

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many defendants charged with TV licence fee evasion entered (a) a guilty plea, (b) a not guilty plea and (c) no plea in each year since 1999.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many female defendants charged with TV licence fee evasion entered (a) a guilty plea, (b) a not guilty plea and (c) no plea in each year since 1999.

Chris Philp: HMCTS can provide data from 2009. Information prior to 2009 is held on legacy systems and is not collated centrally. Such data could only be provided at disproportionate cost.The number of defendants charged with TV licence fee evasion who entered (a) a guilty plea, (b) a not guilty plea and (c) no plea in each year since 2009 and of those, how many were female is as follows:  ALLFEMALEGuilty Plea2Not Guilty Plea3No Plea4TotalGuilty Plea2Not Guilty Plea3No Plea4Total2009 126,6541,29997,062125,01519,27474163,48183,496201032,5871,176128,772162,53523,23267184,696108,599201134,367634136,075171,07624,36934189,882114,592201237,668714154,706193,08826,524382102,442129,348201338,369772139,505178,64627,84642694,622122,894201440,961960144,069185,99029,83656499,033129,433201538,0401,450151,434190,92427,519849104,989133,357201632,7271,882139,703174,31224,0001,09897,994123,092201725,5761,826112,672140,07419,0301,05579,71399,798201821,7521,793107,646131,19116,3311,05577,25894,6442019 112,00285654,17667,0349,15550339,34349,001 1 2009 is for the period 1st April to 31st December 2009 & 2019 is for the period 1st January to 30th June 2019:2Guilty Pleas includes: Guilty  Guilty Single Justice Procedure   Plea changed to Guilty, previous plea Not Guilty  3Not Guilty Pleas Includes  Guilty plea withdrawn, plea now Not Guilty  Not Guilty   4No Plea Includes  No plea Unfit to Plead Plea field is blank Data Notes:a. Data are taken from a live management information system and can change over time.b. Data are management information and are not subject to the same level of checks as official statistics.c. The data provided are the most recent available and for that reason might differ slightly from any previously published information.d. The data extract for this PQ included gender. However the values of Male, Female and Not Specified have been returned and whilst salutations could be used to try to identify gender, there are generic titles such as Doctor, Reverend etc which would not determine the gender. Therefore only where Female has been specified, has this been used in the Female table.e. Cases received on new systems for the period December 2018 to June 2019 have been included.

Ministry of Justice: Agency Workers

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of staff in (a) each section within his Department and (b) each body overseen by his Department were agency staff in each year for which information is available.

Chris Philp: The information requested is already published within our annual report and accounts. Staff described as ‘Other’ refer to agency staff, you can find the annual reports at links below.‘Other’ would include: Clerical/Administrative staff, Interim Managers, Specialist Contractors and Consultants. Definitions are centrally determined and included in the monthly workforce management information report.MoJ Annual Report and AccountsPage numberLink to the accounts2018-1984https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-20192017-1872https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-182016-1766https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-20172015-1658https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2015-to-20162014-1588https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-justice-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015 Monthly information on staffing, including agency staffing is published at the link below. Please note the methodology and scope for monthly reports and the annual accounts are different, as such the information contained will not match.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-moj In the Ministry of Justice, most agency staff are in clerical/administrative roles working as part of front-line services in our Executive Agencies, in particular HM Prison & Probation Service and HM Courts & Tribunal Service. Wherever agency staff are used we only seek to so when it is more efficient and cost-effective, saving money for the taxpayer.

Prisons: Repairs and Maintenance

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the reactive repair in-month completion rate was for each prison in (a) 2010 (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Lucy Frazer: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 October 2019.The correct answer should have been:

Please see the accompanying document, which details the reactive repairs completed each month. Faults are reported on the facilities management system online, or via a telephone help desk.Local maintenance teams then create a work order and assign an appropriate tradesperson to complete the work. Following completion, the work order is closed on the facilities management system. Contractor performance is monitored closely.



Work order
(Excel SpreadSheet, 191.12 KB)

Lucy Frazer: Please see the accompanying document, which details the reactive repairs completed each month. Faults are reported on the facilities management system online, or via a telephone help desk.Local maintenance teams then create a work order and assign an appropriate tradesperson to complete the work. Following completion, the work order is closed on the facilities management system. Contractor performance is monitored closely.



Work order
(Excel SpreadSheet, 191.12 KB)

Crimes of Violence: Convictions

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convictions there have been under sections (a) 18, (b) 20, (c) 2a, (d) 47 and (f) 58 of the Offences Against The Person Act 1861.

Chris Philp: The Ministry of Justice has published a National Statistics series on the number of defendants prosecuted and convicted for these offences in England & Wales for 2014 – 2018. This data is available in the principal offence proceedings and outcomes by Home Office offence code data tool available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804510/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2018.xlsx To select the number of individuals who were convicted under (a) section 18: filter ‘Offence code’ to ’00501’. To select the number of individuals who were convicted under (b) section 20: filter ‘Offence code’ to ’00801’. To select the number of individuals who were convicted under (d) section 47: filter ‘Offence code’ to ’00806’. To select the number of individuals who were convicted under (f) section 58: filter ‘Offence code’ to ’01401’. Section 2a of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 has been repealed by the Homicide Act 1957 and as such data on convictions over the period is unavailable.

Non-molestation Orders

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many non-molestation orders have been issued in each year since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) women and (b) people have represented themselves when applying for a non-molestation order in each year since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, to publish any guidance produced by his Department for people who are advised to seek a non-molestation order.

Wendy Morton: Non-molestation orders are made by the court to protect individuals from the harm of domestic violence. They can, where necessary, extend to protect children.Non-molestation applications are either made ‘without notice’ to the respondent, usually if the applicant is seeking immediate protection, or ‘on notice’ to the respondent. The number of non-molestation orders made in each of the last 9 calendar years is shown in table 1 below. The data covers England and Wales.Table 1: Non-molestation orders made in England and WalesYearTotal201021,194201119,556201219,403201322,284201423,999201523,630201623,647201725,750201827,183Source:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2019 We do not hold data on how many people have represented themselves when applying for an order.Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service publish a range of guidance on Gov.Uk including eligibility for obtaining orders, how to apply for an injunction if you've been the victim of domestic violence, how to apply for a non-molestation order and an occupation order and how to serve applications. Links to the guidance are below:https://www.gov.uk/injunction-domestic-violence/eligibility-non-molestation https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/form-fl401-application-for-a-non-molestation-order-occupation-order

Non-molestation Orders: Legal Aid Scheme

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) women and (b) people who applied for non-molestation orders were not eligible for legal aid in each year since 2010.

Wendy Morton: VOLUME OF REFUSALS% OF APPLICATIONS REFUSEDYEARFEMALES (a)TOTAL (b)FEMALES (a)TOTAL (b)2010-201129350.25%0.30%2011-201212140.11%0.13%2012-201319250.17%0.22%2013-201467680.44%0.45%2014-20151231310.87%0.93%2015-20161271320.94%0.98%2016-20172222351.67%1.77%2017-20182823072.10%2.29%2018-20193804062.87%3.07% Figures are based on the volume of applications made rather than the number of discrete individuals. One person may make more than one application for legal aid. Applications for legal aid when requesting a non-molestation orders will only be rejected when a court is unlikely to grant an order, for instance where other help and support is already in place.

Bail: Domestic Abuse

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) women and (b) people have sought bail restrictions against an alleged domestic abuser in each year since 2010.

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of (a) women (b) people who have sought bail restrictions against an alleged domestic abuser have had those applications granted in each year since 2010.

Wendy Morton: Data relating to the specific circumstances where bail restrictions have been sought and granted is not held centrally. This information may be held on court records, but obtaining it would result in a disproportionate cost to the department.

Courts: Closures

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has plans to close more (a) crown and (b) magistrates' courts.

Chris Philp: HM Courts & Tribunals Service keeps its operational court estate under review to make sure that it aligns with a modernised service. There are currently no proposals to close further crown or magistrates’ courts beyond those already announced. We have always been clear that our Reform Programme will result in the need for fewer court and tribunal buildings and that this will only happen when there is sound evidence that people are using them less.

Sentencing: Children

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children were sentenced to custody for a sentence of six months or less (a) in total, (b) for sexual offences and (c) for violent offences in 2018.

Wendy Morton: The Ministry of Justice has published information on the sentencing outcomes of court proceedings. Information on the age and ethnicity of those prosecuted, the type of crimes and the sentence given can be found by using the Sentencing data tool available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802321/sentencing-tool-2018.xlsx In the Sentencing data tool:Use the ‘Age Group’ filter and select juveniles. Use the ‘Custodial Sentence Length’ filter to select ’01: up to and including 1 month’, ’02: over 1 month and up to and including 2 months’, ’03: over 2 months and up to and including 3 months’, ’04: over 3 months to less than 6 months’ and ’05: 6 months’ In the pivot table options remove ‘Offence Type’ from the Rows field and drag ‘Offence Group’ in its place.The number of children sentenced for sexual offences, the number of children sentenced for violence against the person offences and the total number of children sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence of 6 months or less can be found in the table.

Ministry of Justice: G4S

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) fines and (b) other financial penalties have been paid to his Department by (i) G4S and (ii) G4S subsidiaries for failures to meet contractual obligations in each year since 2010.

Chris Philp: This PQ has been interpreted to mean the level of financial remedies that the Ministry of Justice has been in receipt of from G4S, or G4S subsidiaries, in relation to failure to meet contractual performance obligations since 2010. We manage all of our privately managed prison contracts with G4S, or G4S subsidiaries, robustly and deal with any performance issues in accordance with the mechanisms of the contracts. Privately managed prison providers achieve the majority of their contractual targets; however, we will not hesitate to take action where standards fall short. For privately managed prisons the total value of financial remedies imposed for each financial year has been provided and is included in the below table:Financial YearValue of Financial Remedy2010/2011£257,7972011/2012£166,8302012/2013£498,5102013/2014£990,7702014/2015£363,7682015/2016£251,8722016/2017£679,8692017/2018£280,5822018/2019£281,1022019/2020 (Q1 only)£ 6,859

Witnesses

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many witnesses have received support from the court-based witness service in each year since 2010.

Wendy Morton: This Government is committed to ensuring that both prosecution and defence witnesses receive timely and effective emotional and practical support to help them give their best evidence in criminal courts in England and Wales. The number of witnesses who have received support from the Ministry of Justice grant funded court based Witness Service since 2010 (data available pre-2013 is rounded data) as reported by the provider is set out in the table below.: YearNumber of witnesses supportedProvider2010/11268,000Victim Support2011/12240,000Victim Support2012/13204,000Victim Support2013/14198,872Victim Support2014/15193,048Victim Support2015/16178,320Citizens Advice2016/17156,407Citizens Advice2017/18148,592Citizens Advice2018/19125,124Citizens Advice

Prisons: Private Sector

Mr Bob Seely: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of ending private sector involvement in the prison system.

Lucy Frazer: We remain committed to a role for the private sector in operating custodial services. I have not made any assessment of the cost associated with the ending of private sector involvement in the prison system. The Government believes that the private sector has an important role to play in delivering custodial services in England and Wales, and currently runs some high-performing prisons, in the delivery of an estate which is both decent and secure.We believe that competition can deliver improvements to service quality, encourage innovation, secure capital investment, and achieve value for money.

Prisons: Overcrowding

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of overcrowding in prisons on rates of recidivism.

Lucy Frazer: We are committed to ensuring offenders leaving prison have the tools they need to turn their backs on crime - reducing reoffending and ultimately keeping the public safe.There is currently little evidence of a direct link between overcrowding and recidivism.Evidence on what works to reduce reoffending suggests that having a job and a home on release from prison are key factors, among others. There is a concerted cross-government effort to reduce reoffending. We recently announced a National Partnership Agreement with DWP, which sets out how the departments will jointly drive rehabilitation and reduce reoffending. We also continue to work closely with our health and justice partners, and are collaborating with MHCLG and local authorities on our offender accommodation pilots. One year ago, we also published our Education and Employment strategy, which set out how we will transform our approach to ensure prisoners develop the skills they need to secure employment on release.More examples of criminogenic needs that influence reoffending can be found at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/305319/transforming-rehabilitation-evidence-summary-2nd-edition.pdf

Barristers: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date he plans to visit Northern Ireland to confirm the appointment of new Queen's Counsel.

Chris Philp: The Lord Chancellor will consider the recommended appointments in due course.

Treasury

Mobile Homes: Excise Duties

Alberto Costa: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of reclassifying motorhomes as private cars for the purpose of vehicle excise duty.

Mr Simon Clarke: Since 1 September 2019, motorhomes are captured by the same VED regulations as light passenger vehicles. These reforms encourage the take-up of vehicles with low carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to help meet legally binding climate change targets. Transport is the largest sector for UK greenhouse gas emissions (27%), of which road transport accounts for over 90%. Whilst the Government recognises the concerns of the leisure industry, tax is only one of many factors impacting purchasing decisions. Like all taxes, the Government keeps the VED treatment of motorhomes under review. Any changes will be considered by the Chancellor and announced at fiscal events.

Aviation: Fuels

Gillian Keegan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the merits of introducing (a) fuel duty or (b) VAT on aviation fuel.

Mr Simon Clarke: In line with international conventions to which the UK is party, the government does not tax commercial aviation fuel. The government taxes airlines through Air Passenger Duty to ensure the aviation industry contributes to the cost of public services.

Treasury: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff in his Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Mr Simon Clarke: As at the 30th September 2019, 54 civil servants employed by HM Treasury were recorded with Muslim as their self-declared religious group. The ethnicity breakdown is: Asian - Bangladeshi 18- Asian - Indian Fewer than 10- Asian - Pakistani 15- Black - African Fewer than 10- Mixed - Asian and White Fewer than 10- Other Arab Fewer than 10- Other Asian background Fewer than 10- Other Black background Fewer than 10- Other ethnic background Fewer than 10- Other Mixed ethnic background Fewer than 10- Not Known Fewer than 10 The grade breakdown is: - Range B Fewer than 10- Range C 15- Range D 25- Range E Fewer than 10- Range E2 Fewer than 10

Infrastructure

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will make it mandatory for all public infrastructure owners to undertake a should-cost estimate as a reference point, as recommended in the Government's Outsourcing Playbook and endorsed by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Jesse Norman: The Outsourcing Playbook sets out the Government’s guidance on outsourcing services rather than infrastructure projects. All infrastructure projects are required to estimate costs as part of the Government’s business case process, in accordance with the guidance set out in the Green Book.

Infrastructure

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to prevent major infrastructure projects from exceeding their budgets and completion schedules (a) now and (b) in the future.

Jesse Norman: The Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) currently supports the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). This is a continually evolving portfolio of the Government’s most complex and high risk projects, which monitors and analyses cost, schedule and benefits data on a quarterly basis. Furthermore, each year the IPA undertakes over 200 independent assurance reviews to examine the delivery of GMPP projects. In April 2019, the Department for Transport and the IPA jointly published the ‘Lessons from transport for the sponsorship of major projects’ report, which identified 24 practical lessons, which will help improve how the Government delivers projects. These lessons will be applied to future projects across Government and used to improve the system over the long-term.

Infrastructure

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government will take a systematic approach to the UK's infrastructure in the proposed National Infrastructure Strategy as advocated by the Institution of Civil Engineers; and whether this will include a programme of comprehensive electrification of Britain's rail track to help meet the UK's climate change obligations.

Jesse Norman: The National Infrastructure Strategy will be informed by the recommendations from the National Infrastructure Commission’s first National Infrastructure Assessment and will set out the Government’s long-term vision for infrastructure across the whole of the UK, including action on meeting the UK’s target of net zero emissions by 2050. The Department for Transport published its Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline earlier this month, which includes electrification schemes. In addition, Network Rail is developing a Traction Decarbonisation Network Strategy which also serves to inform the Government’s decisions on electrification, alongside other technologies such as battery and hydrogen.

UK Trade with EU

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, under what provisions are goods leaving the EU’s customs territory required to submit exit summary declarations.

Jesse Norman: Under the existing Union Customs Code (UCC) rules, businesses exporting goods are required to provide safety and security information. Article 263 of the Union Customs Code (Regulation (EU) No 952/2013) requires the submission of pre-departure declarations. This can be fulfilled through a customs declaration made under Article 263, or alternatively under Article 270 for re-exports, or in other cases under Article 271 by means of exit summary declarations. An exit summary declaration is only needed where a fiscal export declaration has not been lodged or is not required.

UK Trade with EU: Northern Ireland

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what paperwork and declarations will be required under the new Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in respect of goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK.

Jesse Norman: The new deal will enable the Government to ensure that no tariffs are payable for goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK and that there is no hard border on the island of Ireland. The deal will allow the Government to maintain unfettered access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK. Some practical information will need to be provided electronically for these movements for safety and security purposes, and to maintain compliance with existing international obligations. This agreement protects the economy of Northern Ireland and Ireland by ensuring that all businesses can continue to trade easily across the North-South border without customs checks or controls.

UK Trade with EU: Northern Ireland

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what paperwork and declarations will be required under the new Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in respect of goods moving from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland.

Jesse Norman: The new deal ensures that Northern Ireland continues to be part of the UK’s customs territory and that no tariffs will be payable on goods moving from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland. For the protection of the single regulatory zone, and to ensure that the correct tariffs are applied, it will be necessary to collect information on goods moving from the rest of the UK to Northern Ireland. Declarations will be electronic and, to minimise the impact on traders, will be designed to collect necessary fiscal and regulatory data as part of the same process. This agreement protects the economy of Northern Ireland and Ireland by ensuring that all businesses can continue to trade easily across the North-South border without customs checks or controls.

UK Trade with EU: Northern Ireland

Hilary Benn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what international obligations under the new Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol will require firms exporting goods from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK to submit exit summary declarations.

Jesse Norman: The deal will allow the Government to maintain unfettered access for goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of the UK. It may be that, owing to the World Customs Organization’s SAFE framework, exports from Northern Ireland to the rest of the United Kingdom will need to submit exit summary declarations for safety and security purposes, after the implementation period.

Taxation

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 293714, whether he makes an equality impact assessment on people that HMRC contacts in for tax compliance checks.

Jesse Norman: HMRC consider the equality impacts of all their policies, including compliance policies, before they are introduced, and these assessments are published within Tax Impact Information Notes on GOV.UK. HMRC are committed to treating all their customers fairly and to providing tailored support and reasonable adjustments to all customers who need extra help to manage their tax and benefit affairs. They offer support to all customers undergoing compliance checks according to their needs.

Multinational Companies: Taxation

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to section 15 of and schedule 3 to the Finance (No.3) Act 2018, what estimate he has made of the annual cost to the public purse of the exemption from tax on offshore receipts in respect of intangible property.

Jesse Norman: The taxation of offshore receipts in respect of intangible property was a new measure enacted in Section 15 of and Schedule 3 to the Finance Act 2019. The measure applies a direct UK Income tax charge to amounts received in a low tax jurisdiction in respect of intangible property, to the extent that those amounts are referable to the sale of goods or services in the UK. It is forecast to raise over £1.1 billion over five years, as follows: Exchequer impact (£m)2018 to 20192019 to 20202020 to 20212021 to 20222022 to 20232023 to 202400+475+275+220+165 The measure, as enacted, includes three exemptions: a de minimis of £10m of UK sales, an exemption for business undertaken in the territory of residence, and an exemption where tax is being charged at 50% or more of the UK tax. These exemptions aim to target the legislation at multinational groups which generate significant income from intangible property through UK sales and which have made arrangements such that the income is received in offshore jurisdictions where it is taxed at no or low effective rates. The yield forecast for the measure was based on the rules as defined in the legislation.

Electric Vehicles: VAT

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of scrapping VAT on the purchase of new electric cars.

Jesse Norman: The Government has set an ambitious, legally binding target to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the UK by 2050. Although there are no plans at present to reduce the VAT charge on electric vehicles, the Government keeps all taxes under review including against this target and other fiscal considerations.

Debts

Neil Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether universal credit (a) repayments and (b) deductions will be included in the criteria for the Breathing Space Scheme.

John Glen: Breathing Space will cover a broad range of debts including those owed to central and local government. It is the government’s intention to include Universal Credit advances and third-party deductions in Breathing Space, alongside other benefit deductions designed to recover debt. The government has committed to laying regulations on Breathing Space by the end of the year in order to commence the policy from early 2021. To ensure that the required IT changes align with the wider Universal Credit programme, Universal Credit advances and third-party deductions will be included in Breathing Space on a phased basis following the commencement of the wider scheme.

Coinage

Patrick Grady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2019 to Question 236421 on Coinage, whether a date has been agreed with the Royal Mint on which the 50 pence coin commemorating the UK’s departure from the EU will go into circulation.

John Glen: The 50 pence coin to commemorate the UK’s departure from the EU will be ready to enter circulation following the UK’s departure.

Sleeping Rough

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 1587 on Sleeping Rough, what assessment he has made of the effect of increasing the Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge on non-UK residents buying residential property to three per cent on the prevalence of rough sleeping in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) England.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 1587 on Sleeping Rough, if he will make an estimate of the funding that would be raised for tackling rough sleeping under a Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge of (a) 1 and (b) 3 per cent on non-UK residents buying residential property in England and Northern Ireland.

Jesse Norman: The Government has previously announced that the non-resident Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) surcharge will be set at 1%. A costing for how much the surcharge will raise will be produced at a future fiscal event once the final design of the surcharge has been confirmed. This costing will follow the usual process for analysing the revenue impacts of new tax measures, including being subject to scrutiny from the Office for Budget Responsibility.

Coinage

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has requested approval from the Privy Council for the minting of 50 pence coins to mark the UK's exit from the EU.

John Glen: The Queen, on the advice of the Privy Council, confirmed by Proclamation on 11 October 2019 that the coin to mark the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union shall be legal tender.

Coinage

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been spent by his Department on the minting of coins to mark the UK's exit from the EU; and how many of those coins are in circulation.

John Glen: Any coins issued into circulation will meet existing demand for 50ps. There is no additional cost in minting coins with one design over another. The coin to mark the UK’s exit from the EU will enter circulation following our departure.

Employment: Taxation

Chris Williamson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on pay rates of the roll-out of the off-payroll rules.

Jesse Norman: The off-payroll working rules (sometimes known as IR35) have been in place since 2000. They are designed to ensure that individuals working like employees pay broadly the same amount of tax and NICs, regardless of the structure they work through. They do not affect the self-employed. In 2017 the Government reformed the way the rules operate in the public sector in order to address widespread non-compliance. Evidence shows that compliance is improving, without reducing the flexibility of the labour market. Budget 2018 announced that the reform would be extended to all sectors, but not until April 2020, giving businesses more time to prepare. The Government has consulted extensively on the reform and HMRC are rolling out guidance as well as an education and support programme. On 11 July 2019, HMRC published a Tax Information and Impact Note setting out the costs to business and individuals of the reform. This can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020/rules-for-off-payroll-working-from-april-2020.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Financial Transactions Capital funding Northern Ireland Government Departments have (a) requested and (b) received since the inception of that scheme in 2012-13.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Financial Transactions Capital funding has been allocated to Northern Ireland Government Departments in each year since the inception of that scheme in 2012-13.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Financial Transactions Capital funding has been allocated to each Northern Ireland Government Department in each year since 2012-13.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Financial Transactions Capital funding each Northern Ireland Government Department has drawn down in each year since 2012-13.

Gavin Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much Financial Transactions Capital funding Northern Ireland Government Departments have returned to his Department in each year since 2012-13.

Rishi Sunak: The Treasury sets the Northern Ireland administration’s overall Financial Transaction Capital budget through the normal operation of the Barnett formula. The annual Financial Transaction Capital budgets of the Northern Ireland administration and total Financial Transaction Capital returned to HM Treasury by the Northern Ireland administration for the period 2012-13 to 2020-21 is set out in the table: (£m)Financial Transaction Capital budgetsFinancial Transaction Capital returned to HMT2012-1311.80.02013-1446.80.02014-1562.80.02015-16129.00.02016-1759.234.52017-18166.9109.42018-19182.2171.92019-20192.4n/a*2020-21192.8n/a*Total1043.9315.8*Underspend data is not available until the end of each financial year. Financial transaction funding is ring-fenced for loans or equity investments to the private sector. The use of these Financial Transaction Capital budgets is a matter for the Northern Ireland administration. This includes the allocation of Financial Transaction Capital budgets to Northern Ireland departments, the drawdown of these allocations, approvals processes, and details of projects that have been funded.

Cryptocurrencies

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulation in the cryptocurrencies in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The Cryptoassets Taskforce, consisting of HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), published its report in October 2018. It concluded that strong action should be taken to address the risks associated with cryptoassets that fall within existing regulatory frameworks, and that further consultation and international coordination is required for those cryptoassets that pose new challenges to traditional forms of financial regulation, and fall outside the existing regulatory framework. Since the report, the FCA has consulted and issued final guidance on the regulatory perimeter in relation to cryptoassets, and HMT has consulted on the transposition of the 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD), which will bring cryptoasset exchanges and custodian wallet providers within the scope of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing regulation.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Stella Creasy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of stamp duty land tax returns filed from 31 October 2017 to June 2019 included a (a) claim for group relief, (b) non-residential property, (c) purchaser whose registered office address was in Luxembourg and (d) vendor whose registered office address was not in Luxembourg.

Jesse Norman: The number and proportion of stamp duty land tax returns filed from 31 October 2017 to June 2019 is not readily available. Estimates for group relief are only available on an annual basis. The source is the structural tax reliefs publication which is available using the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/minor-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs Estimates for non-residential property transactions are available on a quarterly basis so data can only be provided for the period from September 2017 to June 2019. The source is the Quarterly Stamp Duty Land Tax Statistics which is available using the following link:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/821607/Quarterly_SDLT_2019Q2_Main.pdf Estimates of the number of transactions by the country where the registered office for either purchaser(s) or vendor(s) lie have not been made, and are not readily available.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been (a) budgeted for and (b) spent on tax-free childcare since the inception of that programme.

Rishi Sunak: Outturn and forecast spending on Tax-Free Childcare is available in table 4.17 of the Office for Budget Responsibility’s Economic & Fiscal Outlook (https://cdn.obr.uk/March-2019_EFO_Web-Accessible.pdf).

Cars: Finance

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Conduct Authority on affordability in the car finance market.

John Glen: On 1 April 2014 the Government transferred regulatory responsibility for the consumer credit market, including motor finance products, from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Government has given the FCA robust powers to protect consumers and supports the work undertaken by the FCA to reduce consumer harm in this sector. On 15th October, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a consultation paper outlining its proposed reforms in the motor finance market. This follows the FCA’s review into the motor finance market which concluded in March 2019. These proposals included banning certain types of commission models which incentivise credit brokers to increase the interest rate on motor finance.  The paper is available at the following link: https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp19-28-motor-finance-discretionary-commission-models-and-consumer-credit-commission-disclosure Treasury ministers and officials meet regularly with the FCA, and the Government will continue to work closely with the FCA to ensure all customers are treated fairly.

Cars: Finance

Catherine West: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure lenders in the motor finance sector comply with FCA rules on assessing (a) creditworthiness and (b) affordability before offering car finance loans.

John Glen: On 1 April 2014 the Government transferred regulatory responsibility for the consumer credit market, including motor finance products, from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Government has given the FCA robust powers to protect consumers and supports the work undertaken by the FCA to reduce consumer harm in this sector. On 15th October, the FCA published a consultation paper outlining their proposed reforms in the motor finance market. This follows the FCA’s review into the motor finance market which concluded in March 2019. These proposals included banning certain types of commission models which incentivise credit brokers to increase the interest rate on motor finance. The paper is available at the following link: https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp19-28-motor-finance-discretionary-commission-models-and-consumer-credit-commission-disclosureDuring its review of the motor finance market, the FCA found that some lenders were not meeting its requirements on assessing creditworthiness by placing undue focus on credit risk rather than on whether the loan was affordable for the borrower.As part of the FCA’s follow-up work, individual feedback was provided to lenders on the FCA’s assessment of their checks on customer creditworthiness and affordability. It found that lenders had considered the FCA’s new rules and guidance on assessing creditworthiness in consumer credit which were published in July 2018 and had subsequently made changes to their affordability assessments where necessary.The FCA will continue to keep the car finance market under review as part of its ongoing and supervisory work.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Energy Supply

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 291003 and to the Answer of 1 October 2019 to Question 290324, if he will introduce the same policy as the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and switch to an electricity provider that supplies electricity solely from renewable resources within the next 12 months; and for what reason his Department has not already ensured its electricity is supplied solely from renewable resources.

Jake Berry: All government departments are mandated to use the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Energy frameworks for the supply of gas, electricity and liquid fuels.The CCS competes the frameworks on the open market and selects the energy providers according to a set of award criteria, normally based on price and quality.The Department's main building is at 2 Marsham Street, which is operated through the Home Office PFI, which was signed in 2002. The supply of electricity is provided by the PFI provider and Home Office.

Private Rented Housing

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the private rented sector.

Esther McVey: The government is committed to rebalancing the relationship between tenants and landlords to deliver a fairer, good quality and more affordable private rented sector.In April this year the government announced that it proposes to consult on the future of Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988. This would provide tenants with more stability, protecting them from having to make frequent moves at short notice, empowering them to challenge poor property standards and enabling them to put down roots and plan for the future. Our consultation on how the new system should operate closed on 12 October. We are now carefully considering the responses received and will publish our response in due course.In January 2019, the government committed – in response to the Strengthening consumer redress in housing consultation – to requiring all private landlords to belong to a redress scheme, so that all tenants have access to redress when things go wrong. This will require primary legislation, which will be introduced at the earliest appropriate opportunityThe government will also shortly lay regulations to introduce mandatory five yearly safety inspections and tests on electrical installations in private rented sector properties.

Leasehold

Mr Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the regulation of leasehold properties.

Esther McVey: The government remains committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and ensuring that consumers are protected from abuse and poor serviceWe have set out a strong package of measures to tackle unfair practices in the leasehold market. This includes a commitment to bring forward legislation to ban the unjustified use of leasehold for new houses, reducing future ground rents to zero financial value, and introducing new rights to challenge fees for freeholders on private and mixed tenure estates. We are also working with the Law Commission to make buying a freehold or extending a lease easier, faster, fairer and cheaper, as well as reinvigorating Commonhold and making Right to Manage easier, to provide greater choice for consumersThe government is also working to ensure charges related to leasehold properties are transparent and communicated effectively and that there is a clear route to challenge or redress if things go wrong. Last October we established an independent working group chaired by Lord Best to raise standards across the property sector, which also considered how fees such as service charges should be presented to consumers. The working group published its final report to government on 18 July. We are considering the report’s recommendations and will announce next steps in due course.We remain committed to legislating on leasehold reform as soon as parliamentary time allows.

Solar Power: Housing

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring solar energy systems to be installed on all new dwellings.

Esther McVey: As of the 1 of October we have launched a consultation on options to deliver a meaningful and achievable increase to the energy efficiency standards for new homes to be introduced through the Building Regulations in 2020, as a stepping stone to meeting our commitment to introduce a Future Homes Standard by 2025. Our preferred option for 2020 would achieve a 31 per cent reduction in carbon emissions for an average home. We expect this would be achieved by homes being built with high fabric standards alongside the use of low-carbon heating, such as a heat-pump, or renewables technology, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The published impact assessment considers analysis and evidence supporting the options.The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings, but do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used, allowing builders the flexibility to innovate and select the most practical and cost-effective solutions in particular circumstances. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar PV panels because of visual amenity, strength, or orientation of the property.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff his Department has requested to loan from the Ministry of Defence to assist with preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Jake Berry: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government no deal Yellowhammer response was formally activated on 21 October and currently a total of 155 Ministry of Defence (MOD) staff are rostered to work on that response. In addition MOD will provide military personnel to act as Government Liaison Officers (GLOs). GLOs will work alongside and support Local Resilience Forums. A total of 47 Military GLOs have to date been activated to cover the eleven priority port areas in support of Operation Yellowhammer.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff from the Ministry of Defence are working in his Department to assist with preparations for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Jake Berry: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has requested that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) provide a total of 167 civilian staff to help resource our planned preparations and response for a no deal exit. Civilian MOD staff are provided on temporary detachment. In addition MOD will provide up to 160 military personnel to act as Government Liaison Officers (GLOs). GLOs will work alongside and support Local Resilience Forums and will only be deployed to areas if and where required.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what agreement his Department has reached with the Ministry of Defence on the length of time staff can be loaned from that Department to assist his Department with preparations for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal; and whether that agreement contains an option to increase the length of those loans.

Jake Berry: The Ministry of Defence will provide staff to work on the Ministry of Housing, Communites and Local Government (MHCLG) no deal preparations and response for a maximum of six months on temporary detachment. The six month period will apply on an individual basis commencing on the date each person is deployed to work for MHCLG.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what tasks in preparation for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal staff from the Ministry of Defence are carrying out on behalf of his Department.

Jake Berry: Ministry of Defence (MOD) staff supporting the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) no deal preparations and response will carry out a broad range of tasks including; work to support and advise local authorities and local resilience forums on their own Brexit preparations and response; providing situation reports based on information received from local partners; contributing to briefing material for Ministers and cross Government forums. MOD staff will work alongside MHCLG colleagues in delivering the Department’s no deal response.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Brexit

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department will cover the staff costs of civil servants loaned to his Department by the Ministry of Defence to work on preparations for the scenario of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Jake Berry: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) will fund the salary costs and any relevant allowances of staff they provide to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to support our no deal preparations and response for a maximum of six months. During this period MHCLG will reimburse MOD for travel and subsistence costs incurred by MOD staff whilst working for MHCLG. MOD staff working on the MHCLG Brexit preparations and response are provided on temporary detachment.

Housing: Disability

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to include requirements for new homes to be built to M4(2) and M4(3) housing standards in their local plans.

Esther McVey: The provision of appropriate housing for disabled people, including specialist and supported housing, is crucial in helping them to live safe and independent lives.  In the revised National Planning Policy Framework, we strengthened policy to create a clear expectation that planning policies for housing in England should make use of M4(2) and M4(3), the government’s optional technical standards for accessible and adaptable housing. In the revised Framework, we also set an expectation that all planning policies for housing should include clear policies for addressing the housing needs of older and disabled people.In June we published new guidance to help local planning authorities to implement these policies to properly address the housing needs of older and disabled people.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Appointments

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which public appointments he is responsible for.

Jake Berry: The public appointments that the Department is responsible for making are set out in the Schedule to the Public Appointments Order in Council 2019.https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-Public-Appointments-Order-In-Council.pdf

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many staff in his Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Jake Berry: As of 30 September 2019, 79 of the Department's employees identified themselves as Muslim and of Islamic faithTable one illustrates the ethnic background of staff who have declared their religion as Muslim using the Department's employee self-service system. The overall declaration rate for religious identity was 66.4 per cent as of 30th September 2019. Staff who choose not to disclose their religion or are yet to review their diversity information are not included in the overall declaration rate.Table 1 - EthnicityMuslimEthnic Minority73White0Not Known6Grand Total79Table two illustrates those who identify as Muslim by Civil Service equivalent grade. Numbers of five or less have been hidden and replaced with ‘**’ in the interest of compliance with data protection legislation.GradeMuslimAdministrative Officers**Executive Officers22Higher Executive Officers32Senior Executive Officers9Grade 79Grade 6**Senior Civil Service**Grand Total79

Parking: Private Sector

Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the timeframe is for (a) his Department to issue guidance on the (i) operation and (ii) management of private parking facilities and (b) the appointment of an independent office to deal with parking appeals under the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019.

Luke Hall: The government is committed enacting the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 as soon as possible. It will lead to the creation of an independent code of practice for private parking companies and, if the Code requires it, a single independent service for parking appeals. We are currently considering the options for the delivery of the Code, including the design of the levy on industry, as well as the format for stakeholder engagement. We will make an announcement in due course. We are also committed to carrying out a public consultation on the draft Code of Practice, allowing all interested parties to directly respond to the proposals.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Jainism and Zoroastrianism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.

Luke Hall: Ministers have attended a number of key events coordinated by Jain and Zoroastrian organisations, and officials have invited representatives from both communities to participate in roundtable discussions where relevant issues are discussed.The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made, and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The government values this contribution enormously.

Homelessness

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to prepare the homeless population for the winter months.

Luke Hall: We recognise the challenges that the cold weather poses for those who are sleeping rough. Last month, we launched a second year of the Cold Weather Fund, doubling its funding. This £10 million fund will be available to all local authorities in England to provide a robust, local response to support as many rough sleepers as possible off the streets during the winter period.In periods of severe weather, Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) is triggered and local authorities work closely with charities to provide basic emergency accommodation to minimise the risk of harm to individuals who are sleeping rough when the temperature drops. Many local authorities will already make sure warm places to stay are available throughout the winter, not just during times when SWEP is in force.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's data release entitled Building Safety Programme: Monthly Data Release for August 2019 published on 12 September 2019, how many of the 1,494 non-ACM cladding samples held at the Building Research Establishment contain combustible materials.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Children: Visual Impairment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on increasing local authority provided support for visually impaired children.

Luke Hall: My colleagues and I meet regularly with counterparts across government, including colleagues from the Department for Education (DfE), to discuss a range of policies and programmes. Next year’s settlement for local government recognises the critical role councils play, and responds to the pressures they face, by providing access to the largest year-on-year increase in Core Spending Power (CSP) in over a decade. Under our proposals, CSP is expected to rise from £46.2 billion to £49.1 billion in 2020-21; an estimated increase of 4.3 per cent in real terms. These resources are largely unringfenced and therefore available for local authorities to spend in line with their local priorities.DfE has also recently announced an increase of £780 million in 2020-21 to their high needs budget, which pays for children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities. This will bring the high needs budget to over £7 billion, with every local authority seeing a minimum funding increase of 8 per cent per person aged 2-18 years old.

Housing: Sales

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government is taking steps to limit the number of properties bought as investments rather than as homes or rental properties.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Affordable Housing

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 886 on Affordable Housing, what his timescale is for decisions on additional investment beyond the current Affordable Homes Programme.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of local authorities who have stepped in to remove flammable cladding from privately owned residential tower blocks.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the number of flat-owners in residential blocks who have been unable to sell or remortgage their home because of the presence of flammable cladding.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Supported Housing: Capital Investment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much capital funding has been allocated to (a) new supported housing and (b) improvements to existing supported housing for homeless people in each year since 2009-10.

Luke Hall: Supported housing plays a vital role in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in this country including those who have experienced crisis in their lives such as homelessness. Last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy setting out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all.The Department does not publish data on capital spend in relation to specific types of supported housing.Our £9 billion Affordable Homes Programme is delivering a range of supported housing alongside general needs accommodation, including provision for Homeless people.The Affordable Homes programme fund does not normally fund the improvement of properties but may in exceptional cases if it results in additional supply.

Business Improvement Districts

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals for a statutory minimum ballot turnout under the Local Government Act 2003 and the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004 for a Business Improvement District to be established; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness and public acceptability of the application of the Local Government Act 2003 and the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004 (SI2004/2443); and if he will make a statement.

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ban local authorities from voting in any ballot which takes place under the Local Government Act 2003 and the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004 (SI2004/2443).

Jake Berry: The government is committed to supporting Business Improvement Districts, as they have been a key tool in providing business-led improvements to local areas since 2004, and they remain an important part of our high streets and town centre agenda.The government does not have any specific proposals for amending the Local Government Act 2003 and the Business Improvements Districts (England) Regulations 2004 with respect to Business Improvement Districts at the present time, including any plans to prevent local authorities from voting in Business Improvement Districts ballots or introduce a statutory minimum ballot turnout.The government keeps the statutory framework for Business Improvement Districts under constant review.

Buildings: Safety

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to present his legislative proposals on safety standards to Parliament in the form of a draft Bill.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Buildings: Safety

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring forward his legislative proposals on building safety standards.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Affordable Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposed new national model for shared ownership on the level of affordable housebuilding.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Affordable Housing

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing rent freezes to maintain affordable housing for low-income households.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

High Rise Flats: Safety

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding from the affordable homes budget has been allocated to tower block safety measures since the Grenfell fire.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Buildings: Insulation

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the feedback from (a) the expert panel on building safety and (b) other organisations that his Department consulted on whether Advice Note 14 on external wall systems that do not incorporate aluminium composite material should be revised.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will publish the (a) advice and (b) correspondence that his Department has received on the estimated number of residential tower blocks where properties have been made unsaleable due to the requirements set out in Advice Note 14.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Insulation

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has received representations on mortgage lenders and building insurers requiring additional information due to Government Advice Note 14 on external wall systems that do not incorporate Aluminium Composite Material.

Esther McVey: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Defence

Navy: Fisheries

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 3 October 2019 to Question 287578 on Navy: Fisheries, what estimate he has made of the increase in the number of (a) Royal Navy vessels and (b) sea hours allocated to enhancing patrolling capacity at sea.

Mark Lancaster: As the hon. Member will be aware, fishery protection is a devolved responsibility, therefore within Scottish waters it is the responsibility of the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency.The Royal Navy does not maintain vessels exclusively employed for fishery patrol activities; however, it does have and operate River Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), which conduct fishery patrol tasking alongside their other Defence tasks. These OPVs are used to fulfil the Royal Navy's commitments under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Royal Navy and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).As a part of Government's preparations to leave the European Union the MMO, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), The Royal Navy and other bodies assessed the probability of an increase in illegal fishing and the uplift required to patrol English and Welsh waters. The result was a predicted uplift of sea hours from 2000 to 6000, and an increase in presence around the UK. To that extent it is Defence's intent to have two OPVs at sea come 31 October conducting Fishery Protection/Marine Enforcement tasking. They will be joined by two further contracted MMO vessels and the Devolved Administration's own vessels. In addition, the Royal Navy maintains a number of high readiness forces in UK waters that could be called upon to assist if requested.

Ministry of Defence: Jainism and Zoroastrianism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.

Johnny Mercer: The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made, and continue to make, a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom.The Ministry of Defence aims to ensure the widest possible representation at national events, while maintaining relevance to the occasion being marked. However, the requested information is not held in the format requested as Defence has no business requirement to maintain records of the religious affiliation of people invited to attend national events.

Defence: Research

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on military research and development of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Ministry of Defence does not anticipate any significant effect on military Research and Development should the UK leave the EU without a deal and has put in place plans to manage the most likely short-term impacts.We will continue to work with our European partners to improve our defence capabilities through co-operative research and armaments projects via our existing bilateral and multilateral relationships - and much of this already takes place outside an EU framework. This will help UK defence industry to continue to operate effectively in the global markets as a trusted, capable, collaborative partner.

Military Aircraft

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect on the development of future combat air systems of the UK leaving the EU.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK defence industry is globally competitive, and we are confident it will continue to thrive in the future. We will continue to work with our allies and partners on the development of capability that we need to keep us safe, and much of this, such as Typhoon, already takes place outside of an EU framework.

Defence: Infrastructure

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of steel sourced from the UK was used in defence infrastructure organisation programmes in each of the last five years.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) does not hold a central record of the origin of all steel used in infrastructure projects. Steel for our major Defence Infrastructure Organisation programmes is mainly sourced by our prime contractors and the supply chains are complex.The MOD does collate some information about the origin of steel for major Defence projects with the largest steel requirements. This information can be found within the 'compliance with the steel procurement guidance' document at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/steel-public-procurement

Defence: Expenditure

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 292879 on Defence: Expenditure, if he will provide the information requested in that Question.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 292880 on Defence: Expenditure, if he will provide the information requested in that Question.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 292881 on Defence: Expenditure, what the activities are for the (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20 budget.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The questions refer to two distinct financial years' supply estimates. Those estimates reflect the sum of activities planned by the Department for those years. The Department's main estimate covers the outcome of its annual financial planning activity which allocates its budget to the projects and activities Defence will deliver that year. Annual plans are based on long term planning and forecasting, particularly the ten year Equipment Plan.Supplementary Estimates are a more mature position reflecting actual spend against these plans. Changes may reflect reprioritisation or updated plans as work progresses. These differences were not unexpected as the Ministry of Defence (MOD) adjusts budget profiles to reflect emerging requirements. The MOD's spending activities are set out in its Annual Report and Accounts. These can be found at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-annual-report-and-accounts-2018-to-19

Nuclear Weapons

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the conclusions of the Journal on the Use of Force and International Law article entitled UK Nuclear deterrence policy: an unlawful threat of force published online on 22 September 2019; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: I can reassure the hon. Member that the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent is fully compliant and compatible with our international legal obligations.

Nuclear Weapons

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 26 February 2019 to Question 222573 on Nuclear Weapons: International Law, whether (a) he and (b) officials in his Department have read the article referred to; and if he will make a statement.

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer of 26 February 2019 to Question 222573 on Nuclear Weapons: International Law, whether that answer was based on an assessment made by his Department of the implications for his policies of the conclusions of the article referred to in that Question; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence forms its policy considering a wide range of sources. We do not comment on whether, or to what extent, individual pieces of academic writing contribute to or influence policymaking. However, the UK keeps its nuclear deterrence policy and posture under review in light of the international security climate and the actions of our potential adversaries.

Defence Privilege Card

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Defence Privilege Cards have been issued in the last five years.

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the names of the companies that have signed up to the Defence Discount Service.

Johnny Mercer: The Defence Discount Service (DDS), operating since 2014, has 242,000 Defence Privilege Card holders.A total of 12,750 companies participate in the DDS. The Ministry of Defence will not publish a full list of these companies as the DDS is operated by a private company (Blue Light Card Ltd) and this information is judged commercially sensitive.

Nuclear Submarines

Stewart Malcolm McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to public purse is of the delay to the delivery of HMS Audacious and other Astute-class nuclear submarines; and whether funding will be (a) reduced or (b) withheld from other defence projects to fund additional costs.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Any additional costs related to the delay to the delivery of Audacious have been contained within the current Astute Equipment Programme budget.

Military Aid: Ports

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans there are for military personnel to provide support at ports in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimates he has made of the number of military personnel on standby to provide support to ports throughout the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Mark Lancaster: The Ministry of Defence has not placed any additional personnel on standby to provide support to ports throughout the UK for Brexit. However, Defence has developed a prudent standby package of 3,300 Defence personnel who are on standby to support civil authorities on a range of tasks if required.

Railways: Armed Forces

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse was of the HM Forces Railcard in the last year for which figures are available.

Johnny Mercer: The HM Forces Railcard is administered by military unit administration offices under a bilateral agreement between the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Rail Delivery Group (RDG). The MOD purchases Railcards from RDG for £21 per railcard and then recovers the £21 cost from individual Service personnel who wish to purchase a railcard. The administrative cost incurred by MOD is minimal but could not be disaggregated from wider budgets.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Prisoners' Release

Mr Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment the Government has made of the (a) ease and (b) effectiveness of mechanisms for prisoners applying for universal credit prior to release from custody.

Will Quince: The Department is committed to providing personalised support for all claimants. This support extends to those who are in prison, with dedicated Prison Work Coaches, who are available to support prisoners to complete their benefit claims and proceed to payment as quickly as possible, and to help them to understand what early work search activities might be helpful for them. DWP and MoJ have been working together to understand the potential barriers to a smooth transition from prison leaving to Universal Credit for those who wish to claim it. This includes, for example, exploring the use of prison documentation as proof of identity for Universal Credit claims where that would help speed the claim. Initial work to test different approaches to supporting prison leavers showed few additional results and low take-up of the support on offer, although the support of a work coach, where it was taken up, was shown to be beneficial in terms of making a claim quickly.

Department for Work and Pensions: Pilot Schemes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what departmental pilot projects are active in (a) Birkenhead and (b) Wirral.

Mims Davies: In terms of Jobcentre Plus, there are currently no departmental projects that (a) Birkenhead or (b) Wirral are involved with.

Children: Maintenance

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much unpaid child maintenance has been written off since the implementation of Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018.

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases of unpaid child maintenance have been written off since the implementation of Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2018.

Mims Davies: The number of cases and the amount of unpaid child maintenance that have been written off from cases on Child Support Agency systems are published in Tables 8.1 and 8.2 of the Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary Statistics: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-support-agency-quarterly-summary-of-statistics-june-2019-experimental.

Department for Work and Pensions: Shettleston Jobcentre

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on which date (a) she and (b) Ministers in her Department last visited Shettleston Jobcentre in Glasgow East constituency.

Mims Davies: The Secretary of State and her Ministers regularly visit Jobcentres across the country, however neither the Secretary of State nor the Ministers in her Department have visited Shettleston Jobcentre in Glasgow East constituency.

Department for Work and Pensions: Citizens Advice Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on what date she last met representatives of Citizens Advice Scotland; and what issues were discussed during that meeting.

Mims Davies: The Secretary of State has not met with representatives of Citizens Advice Scotland.

Housing Benefit: Glasgow East

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an estimate of the total change in the amount deducted from the housing benefit of claimants in Glasgow East constituency as a result of the removal of the spare room subsidy between February 2014 and the most recent month for which figures are available.

Will Quince: The removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) policy has resulted in £9m of Housing Benefit deductions in Glasgow East since May 2013. A breakdown by financial year is provided in the table below: Total Estimated Housing Benefit RSRS Deductions in Glasgow East, 2013/14 to 2018/19 (£m pa)2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/182018/191.31.41.51.51.61.7Figures for 2013/14 cover from May 2013 onwards.Figures do not include claimants on Universal Credit (UC) with a removal of the spare room subsidy (RSRS) deduction as these data are not currently available.

Children: Maintenance

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) arrears-only and (b) arrears cases the Child Support Agency has involving a current liability for a child in Glasgow East constituency.

Mims Davies: As of June 2019 there were 100 live arrears-only cases in Glasgow East constituency (rounded to nearest hundred). There are no cases on the Child Support Agency (CSA) systems that have current liabilities. All CSA cases with ongoing liabilities were closed by the end of December 2018, and parents were invited to apply to the Child Maintenance Service.

Children: Maintenance

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) parents with care and (b) non-resident parents with a Child Support Agency case there were in Glasgow East constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mims Davies: As of June 2019, for Glasgow East constituency there were:(a) 100 parents with care with a Child Support Agency case located in Glasgow East constituency(b) 100 non-resident parents associated with a Child Support Agency case located in Glasgow East constituencyThese figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred. As the Child Support Agency cases have been allocated to parliamentary constituencies based on the postcode of the parent with care, the figure for (b) might not include all non-resident parents residing in Glasgow East constituency as some may be associated with a parent with care who reside in another constituency.

Children: Maintenance

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of child maintenance arrears was in (a) Glasgow East constituency and (b) Scotland in the latest period for which figures are available.

Mims Davies: The following table shows the amount of unpaid maintenance due under the Child Maintenance Service (CMS), as of the end of June 2019. This has been split into that which was arranged by the CMS, and maintenance which was arranged under the Child Support Agency (CSA) but the arrears have been transitioned to be collected by the CMS. Paying Parent address in…Unpaid Maintenance  arranged by the CMSUnpaid Maintenance arranged by CSA, now transitioned to CMS systemOutstanding Arrears from CSA cases on CSA systems Glasgow East Constituency£420,000£925,000£187,000Scotland£21,316,000£51,425,000£12,773,000 Figures have been rounded to the nearest £1,000. Figures are based on the address of the Paying Parent for the CMS system, and based on the address of the Receiving Parent for the CSA systems.

Department for Work and Pensions: Jainism and Zoroastrianism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by her Department in each of the last two years.

Mims Davies: We do not hold information relevant to your request. A broad range of people are invited to events organised by the Department and we do not routinely collect information about our guests’ cultural or religious backgrounds unless particularly appropriate to the event. Britain’s Jain and Zoroastrian community makes a positive contribution to life in this country. This Government values its contribution immensely. The Government is always keen to work with the Jain and Zoroastrian community on matters that are important to them.

Attendance Allowance

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Government is taking to promote the attendance allowance to people entitled to claim it.

Guy Opperman: Information on the availability of Attendance Allowance is already widely available, including online on GOV.UK; from places such as Libraries and Doctors Surgeries; directly from Health Care Professionals who might be supporting those with care needs; and from a range of groups and charities who provide advice and support to elderly people with care needs. DWP continually seeks to improve the information it makes available so as to encourage people to claim Attendance Allowance where they may be entitled.

Personal Independence Payment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of claimants of personal independence payment who made journeys by public transport to be assessed for those payments of (a) 15 minutes or less, (b) 16-30 minutes, (c) 31-45 minutes, (d) 46-60 minutes, (e) 61-75 minutes and (f) 76-90 minutes in each year for which figures are available.

Justin Tomlinson: The information requested is not held. DWP has set clear requirements in terms of geography and travel time to a PIP assessment and continues to ensure assessment providers adhere to this requirement. This limit of 90 minutes is an absolute maximum and DWP expects that only a small minority of claimants will have to make a journey of this duration.

Food Poverty

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on levels of food poverty in (a) St Helens (b) Merseyside and (c) England of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government has been clear that leaving the EU with a deal is its preferred option. The Government has put in place contingency plans for a range of exit scenarios. These contingencies ensure that DWP can continue to provide our vital services and that individuals will continue to be able to access DWP benefits and services on the same basis as they do now. The Government is committed to providing a strong safety-net through the welfare system. We continue to spend over £95 billion a year on benefits for people of working age. DWP continues to monitor the effects of EU exit on the economy. Rates of benefits continue to be reviewed in line with the relevant legislation for uprating.

Personal Independence Payment

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of applicants for personal independence payment request that their assessment is recorded.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department does not hold this information, nor do our Assessment Providers as there is no contractual requirement to do so.

Universal Credit

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by the Resolution Foundation entitled A fraying net, what steps the Government is taking to (a) reform and strengthen the social security safety net for young adults and (b) ensure that parents under the age of 25 do not lose out financially when moving from the previous benefit system to universal credit.

Mims Davies: The Government is committed to providing targeted support for young people. We aim to ensure that everyone, no matter what their start in life, is given the very best chance of getting into work. To support this, the Department delivers the Youth Obligation Support Programme, Jobcentre Plus Support for Schools and the recently introduced Mentoring Circles for young people. Universal Credit is designed to replicate the world of work through the introduction of a range of measures such as monthly assessment periods. Setting a clear benefit rate for claimants under the age of 25 reflects the lower wages that younger workers typically receive. This is intended to maintain the incentive for younger people to find work. The lower rates for younger claimants who are under the age of 25 years reflects the fact that they are more likely to live in someone else's household and have lower living costs and lower earnings expectations. It also reinforces the stronger work incentives that Universal Credit creates for this age group. Universal Credit also includes separate elements to provide support for housing costs, children and childcare costs and support for disabled people and carers. Those who naturally migrate to Universal Credit will do so because they will have had a significant change in their circumstances which previously would have led to a new claim to another existing benefit. In these situations, it has always been the case that the assessment of their new benefit will be based on their new circumstances and under the rules of their new benefit without regard to their previous entitlement. As their circumstances will have changed it is not possible to make a meaningful comparison between their previous entitlement to their existing benefit and their new entitlement to Universal Credit.

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking in response to the findings of her Department's In-work progression trial: further impact assessment and cost benefit analysis report dated 11 October 2019.

Mims Davies: Since 2010 we have seen over 3.7 million more people in work; two thirds of them in higher-skilled, higher paid roles. But, the Department wants to ensure everyone has a chance to move to higher paid work, which is why we ran this trial to learn more about what interventions could work. We will examine the outcomes as we develop our policies further to help boost their earnings. The evaluation of the trial showed small but sustained impacts for those receiving the most support, and it also shows these interventions may be cost effective. These results are promising, but there is still more work to do to increase our knowledge of What Works. The Department is currently in the second year of a four-year programme, announced in the Autumn Budget 2017, to deliver programme of research and analysis, and run a suite of tests and trials, working in partnership with other Government Departments and external organisations. This includes research which seeks to understand the situations and support needs of our future in-work cohorts; a Rapid Evidence Assessment of international policies linked to in-work progression; and work which will support Jobcentre staff to help claimants to make good decisions around job-switching. The Department will be using the results of the trial, together with other research conducted in years 1 and 2 of this programme, to develop more targeted tests and trials to support the development of effective in-work services.

Universal Credit

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's report entitled, In-Work progression trial: further impact assessment and cost benefit analysis, what the point-in-time progression measures were for the (a) 52- and (b) 78-week periods by (i)  gender and (ii) self-reported ethnic background of trial participants.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Job Centres: Staff

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) minimum, (b) maximum and (c) average caseload was for jobcentre work coaches in each constituency in the most recent period for which data is available.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not readily available to constituency level and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The size of a Work Coaches caseload will vary as it is dependent on a number of factors, including the level of customer support required, the needs of the local labour market and the Work Coaches working pattern.

Social Security Benefits

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her predecessor's speech to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation on 9 May 2019, what steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce the maximum length of financial sanctions for welfare claimants from three years to six months, (b) improve access to the labour market for underrepresented groups, (c) double membership to the Disability Confident scheme and (d) consult on reforming statutory sick pay.

Justin Tomlinson: In respect of (a) `reduce the maximum length of financial sanctions for welfare claimants from three years to six months,` we laid legislation to reduce the maximum length of higher-level sanctions from three years to six months on 16 October 2019. We are now working to update communications and Learning and Development products ahead of the legislation coming into force on 27 November 2019.In respect of (b) `improve access to the labour market for underrepresented groups:` We are committed to ensuring that everyone - irrespective of their gender - is able to enter work, progress in work and realise financial security. We are making Universal Credit work better for women, including building the capability of Work Coaches and supporting women in low-paid employment or multiple jobs to increase their earnings. We are also supporting women on Universal Credit to progress from low paying jobs, through a programme of research and trials into the barriers they face and into what works to tackle those barriers. To improve access to the labour market for ethnic minorities, we are providing targeted employment support in 20 areas across Great Britain with high levels of ethnic minority unemployment. In these areas, Jobcentre Plus works with employers and local authorities, wider public services and the voluntary sector to overcome barriers to employment faced by different ethnic groups. Lessons learned are shared across the wider Jobcentre Plus network. To support older people in remaining and returning to work, we abolished the default retirement age and extended the right to request flexible working. In 2017, we published the Fuller Working Lives Strategy, which aims to increase the retention, retraining and recruitment of older workers, by bringing about a change in the perceptions & attitudes of employers, and by challenging the views of working in later life and retirement amongst individuals. We also appointed the Business Champion for Older Workers to spearhead our work to support employers to retain, retrain and recruit older workers. In respect of people with disabilities, The Work and Heath Programme (WHP), which is working with local providers to offer co-ordinated support to those with multiple employment barriers, will help 275,000 people over 5 years, including 220,000 disabled people.  Other DWP initiatives include Intensive Personalised Employment Support Programme (IPES) due to launch before the end of 2019, Access to Work and Disability Confident. In addition, our Jobcentres offer tailored support from Work Coaches and Disability Employment Advisers, backed by the Personal Support Package which is a 4 year, £330 million package of employment support targeted at claimants with disabilities and health conditions. In respect of those at a disadvantage in the labour market, five DWP locally funded innovation pilots were launched between February and June 2018, aimed at providing tailored support to tackle long term barriers to work and in-work progression for those on low pay. In respect of (c) `double membership to the Disability Confident scheme:` We are actively working with internal and external stakeholders, including the high profile Business Leaders Group, other representatives of Business and Jobcentre Plus, to promote the Disability Confident scheme and encourage employer sign up. As of 13th September 2019, the latest published figures show that 13,600 employers had signed up to the scheme and that number is growing week by week. In respect of (d) ‘consult on reforming statutory sick pay,’ we published the consultation `health is everyone’s business` in mid-July and it closed on 7 October. We have received a good response from a range of stakeholders and we are currently reviewing the detailed responses to inform decisions on next steps.

Department for Work and Pensions: Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 903 on 22 October 2019 on Department for Work and Pensions: Health, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of recording well-being measures for each claimant of a benefit delivered by her Department.

Justin Tomlinson: No assessment has been made. DWP has over 100m transactions with customers each year. We do not record well-being measures against each of these transactions, however our case managers are trained to take action in the case of customers discussing suicide or self-harm, alongside being able to signpost customers to additional support such as bereavement assistance where appropriate.

Universal Credit

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of claimants of universal credit manually reported their wages in each of the last 12 months.

Will Quince: A monthly breakdown of adjustments to Universal Credit payments owing to Real Time Information and self-reported earnings is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs. From the information that is readily available for Universal Credit Full Service, in the twelve months to September 2019, on average 1.7m payments were processed each month. Of the payments processed, on average 1.2% or 20,000 had self-reported earnings information recorded.

Universal Credit

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what monitoring is undertaken of errors arising from the RTI system leading to overpayment of universal credit due to lack of notification of wages; and if she will make a statement.

Guy Opperman: The amount of Universal Credit paid to claimants reflects the actual circumstances of a household during each monthly assessment period, as closely as possible. Monthly assessment periods align to the way the majority of employees are paid and also allows Universal Credit to be adjusted each month. This means that if a claimant's income falls, they will not have to wait several months for a rise in their Universal Credit.The IT systems between HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) system and the DWP are monitored 24/7 for any IT failures, so these can be addressed immediately. Universal Credit does not run its Payment Calculations until all earnings files transferred from HMRC are received. However, this does not address instances where an employer has failed to notify HMRC of earnings timeously. In these circumstances we have processes in place, including the opportunity for claimants to self-report earnings to help avoid overpayments. The DWP has been working closely with HMRC since Universal Credit went live in 2013 to support and inform employers who report earnings to emphasise the importance of timely reporting via the Real Time Information (RTI) system. HMRC have updated their guidance to reiterate to employers the importance of reporting accurate dates and the impact on payment cycles; the Financial Secretary to the Treasury is also working closely with HMRC and employers to do this.

Department for Work and Pensions: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff in her Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements her Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Mims Davies: The total number of civil servants in Department for Work and Pensions earning below the London Living Wage rate of £10.55 per hour was 13 as at 25/10/2019.This government is committed to paying people a decent living wage, which is being addressed through the statutory National Living Wage. In April 2019, the National Living Wage increased to £8.21 per hour, handing a full-time worker a further £690 annual pay rise. By 2024 the National Living Wage will rise to £10.50 per hour, reaching 66% of median UK earnings. The scope will be expanded to everyone aged 21 and over and is expected to benefit over 4 million low paid workers. The Government will always award contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportions of claimants of universal credit that would found guilty of advance payment loan fraud have been moved back to their previous benefit.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the increase in universal credit advance payment loan fraud cases.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the criteria must be fulfilled in cases of universal credit advance payment loan fraud for a person to be removed from universal credit and returned to the old benefits system.

Guy Opperman: The Department is committed to the prevention, detection and investigation of all types of benefit fraud. Since 18 September 2019, claimants are required to attend an interview at a Jobcentre to verify their identity before claiming a Universal Credit new claim advance. This change is helping protect claimants from identity fraud and becoming victims of third party scams. The Department will review each case where a claim to Universal Credit was prompted by fraudulent activity. If there is clear evidence that the claimant had no involvement in the fraud, and where the claimant wishes us to do so, we will consider re-instating DWP legacy benefits.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to help prosecute people accused of fraud involving the universal credit advance payment loan.

Guy Opperman: The Department continues to work hard to ensure that the perpetrators of Universal Credit advances fraud are punished. We have worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that there will be no specific overpayment value threshold for prosecution to be considered in Universal Credit advances fraud cases. This will allow decisions to be made purely on the strength of evidence. We continue to work with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to ensure that a similar approach is applied for cases in Scotland.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have been assigned to the dedicated team investigating universal credit advance payment loan fraud.

Mims Davies: We have 145 staff in the dedicated team. We also have a number of investigators who, as part of their caseload, will be investigating Universal Credit advances fraud cases, but are not part of the dedicated team. In addition to investigating cases, we are proactively addressing this issue with messaging on social media to raise awareness and remind people of the importance of safeguarding their identity, and by continuing to work with Social Media sites to shut down posts which promote this fraud. We have shut down 164 sites so far.

Social Security Benefits: St Helens

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent estimate she has made of staffing levels for each of the benefits administered in St Helens; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of those levels.

Mims Davies: The Department has a resource managing process to effectively forecast current and future staffing requirements. This is regularly reviewed to ensure we can balance supply and demand to meet business objectives.

Maternity Allowance: Merseyside and Walsall

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for how long maternity allowance has been administered at (a) Birkenhead, (b) Walsall and (c) St Helens.

Mims Davies: Maternity Allowance has been processed at Birkenhead since April 2018. Walsall started processing MA in July 2019 and St Helen’s started processing MA from August 2019.

Universal Credit: Birkenhead

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will place in the Library copies of (a) risk registers relating to the (i) policy and (ii) administration governing universal credit and (b) the risk register governing the implementation of universal credit in Birkenhead.

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2019 to Question 1899 on Universal Credit: Fraud, what mitigating actions were published in the risk register in connection with universal credit advance fraud; whether those actions were carried out; and what their outcome was.

Will Quince: It is not the Department’s policy to publish its assessments of ongoing risks. This ensures there is sufficient space for internal and robust discussions between officials and Ministers, and to ensure that our security and operations are not compromised. The Universal Credit programme from its inception has been, and continues to be, subject to a robust regime of internal and external scrutiny, including oversight from the Work and Pensions Select Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, the National Audit Office and the Infrastructure and Projects Authority.

Universal Credit: Fraud

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many instances of universal credit advance fraud have been investigated by her Department in each month since the introduction of full service.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Work and Pensions: Health

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 903 on Department for Work and Pensions: Health, on how many occasions her Department's staff have flagged claimants as being suicidal; and what estimate she has made of the number of claimants who have died by suicide in each of the last six years.

Justin Tomlinson: The Department does not hold centralised records that will enable it to answer these questions. The Department takes the issue of suicide extremely seriously. Guidance is available to staff that helps them work with customers who are vulnerable and indicate they may harm themselves.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 290620 on Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control, what steps she is taking to ensure that badgers from the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s Woodchester Park research centre are not inadvertently killed in surrounding cull zones.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 to Question 290620 on Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control, whether it is her Department's policy that a marked badger from the Woodchester study area found in a cull zone would be shot.

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 7 October 2019 Question 290620 on Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control, whether she has made an assessment of the potential effect on research outcomes of the culling of animals that are part of that research programme.

George Eustice: The Animal and Plant Health Agency’s ongoing study of the wild badger population at Woodchester Park can adapt to assess any new impacts on the badger population, including from licensed badger culling taking place across Gloucestershire, which is in the Bovine TB High Risk Area of England. Woodchester Park’s work will continue to support policy and research in line with our TB strategy’s adaptive and evidence-based approach.

Sulphur Dioxide

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the level of sulphur dioxide was in the UK in each of the last ten years.

Rebecca Pow: Defra’s national Automatic Urban and Rural Monitoring Network (AURN) currently has 28 sites monitoring sulphur dioxide every 15 minutes in the UK. Over the last 10 years (2008 – 2018) concentrations of sulphur dioxide monitored have remained consistently low. The UK has been compliant with legally binding limit values for sulphur dioxide for the entire period. The low concentration levels are in part linked to large reductions in UK sulphur dioxide emissions (a 67% reduction between 2008 and 2017).

Plastics: Recycling

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to research published by Recoup on recycling rates of plastic plant pots, what steps she is taking to increase recycling rates of plastic plant pots; and which local authorities accept kerbside collection of those pots for recycling.

Rebecca Pow: Following support at consultation, the draft legislation in the Environment Bill (https://services.parliament.uk/Bills/2019-20/environment.html) stipulates that a core set of materials (paper and card, plastic, glass, metal, food waste, garden waste) will be collected from households by all local authorities in England from 2023. All local authorities collecting the same core set of materials from all households will reduce confusion about what can be recycled. Combined with clearer, more consistent labelling, this will encourage householders to recycle more because they will have more confidence in the recycling system. Secondary legislation, including statutory guidance, will be developed detailing what is included under the plastic waste stream, such as plastic plant pots. Collection of plant pots is currently subject to local decision making. The Recycle Now website details which local authorities collect plastic plant pots for recycling: https://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/plastic-plant-pots.

Eggs

Jane Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on the egg industry.

George Eustice: We remain focused on facilitating a smooth and orderly withdrawal from the EU with a deal as soon as possible. If we do leave the EU with a deal, trade in the egg sector will continue with the EU and third countries as it does at present for the duration of the implementation period.However, as a responsible Government, we have been preparing to minimise any disruption in the event of a no deal. Since the referendum over three years ago we have been meeting regularly with the egg industry to understand and anticipate the potential impacts of a no deal scenario on the sector. The UK has a high level of self-sufficiency in eggs; last year the UK was nearly 90% self-sufficient in its egg production. The UK is also a net importer of eggs, with the overwhelming majority of egg imports coming from the EU. In the event of no deal, EU imports will continue to enter the UK tariff-free. In relation to exports, last year approximately 40% of our exports of eggs (value) went to the EU. This accounts for 1.3% of our domestically produced eggs. In the event of a no deal EU departure these exports would face a tariff when going to the EU. As the UK would be classed as a ‘third country’ in the event of a no deal, there may be a period during which the UK cannot export eggs to the EU. This is because the EU may want to carry out an assessment called ‘an evaluation of equivalence’ of UK marketing standards.We will be monitoring the market prior to and immediately after we leave the EU on 31 October and will be ready to intervene if necessary.

LIFE Programme: British Overseas Territories

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department has plans to replicate the EU LIFE funding programme and apply it to the UK Overseas Territories after the UK leaves the EU.

Zac Goldsmith: Projects funded under the LIFE programme have played an important role in helping to implement environment policy. The 25 Year Environment Plan makes clear that public funding will continue to play an important role in protecting and enhancing our natural environment. Once the terms of the UK’s exit from the EU are clear, we will decide as part of the next multi-annual Spending Review, whether the UK will seek to associate with the LIFE programme as a third country or whether domestic arrangements should be established. The recent Call for Evidence on biodiversity and conservation funding in the Overseas Territories, a summary of responses to which will be published shortly, will also help inform decisions on the future of biodiversity and conservation funding in the overseas territories.

Eutrophication

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of recent trends in local authority funding on the ability of councils to combat eutrophication.

Rebecca Pow: Defra has not undertaken an assessment of recent trends in local authority funding on the ability of councils to combat eutrophication. Defra does not allocate any funding to local authorities for the purposes of combating eutrophication.

Dynamic Food Procurement National Advisory Board: Devon

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria were used to appoint members from Devon to the Dynamic Food Procurement Board.

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how often the Dynamic Food Procurement Board will meet.

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the minutes of Dynamic Food Procurement Board meetings will be published.

Sir Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department measures the effectiveness of the national advisory board on dynamic food procurement.

Zac Goldsmith: The Dynamic Food Procurement National Advisory Board (DFPNAB) is not a statutory body. It is an independent grass roots body with participants from member organisations, public procurers and small businesses with a shared interest in promoting the use of the dynamic purchasing model in the food supply chain. While its members are not appointed by the Secretary of State, Defra does take part in meetings. Trials of the dynamic procurement model have shown it can, in the right circumstances, offer greater access to public sector contracts for small, medium and local producers. The Government is investigating the larger scale use of dynamic purchasing for food procurement and the DFPNAB has freely shared its knowledge and expertise to assist with this work. The DFPNAB meets approximately every three months. The date of the next meeting has not been agreed, but is expected to take place in January 2020. The DFPNAB does not publish the minutes of meetings. The Government does not monitor the effectiveness of independent bodies.

Water: Pollution

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will publish the most recent classification by chemical status of the UK's surface water bodies.

Rebecca Pow: The most recent surface classifications were published in January 2017 and can be accessed via the Catchment Data Explorer application available online at: https://environment.data.gov.uk/catchment-planning/. Chemicals status classifications will next be updated in 2020 as part of the work to review and update River Basin Management Plans.

Water: Pollution

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of surface water bodies have been tested for chemical status using a biota sampling methodology; and of those bodies so tested what proportion were classified as having a good chemical status.

Rebecca Pow: Biota testing has now been undertaken in 2.8% (130) surface waterbodies. Chemicals status classifications will next be updated in 2020 as part of the work to review and update River Basin Management Plans.

Water: Pollution

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an estimate of the proportion of unmonitored surface water bodies that would be classified as having a good chemical status using a biota sampling methodology.

Rebecca Pow: It is not possible to monitor biota in every water body. The Environment Agency is considering how to assess unmonitored surface water bodies to inform the classification of chemical status when this is next undertaken in 2020.

Water: Pollution

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether it is her policy to use a biota sampling methodology to assess the chemical status of surface water bodies in the next round of the Government's River Basin Management Plans.

Rebecca Pow: The intention is to use biota sampling to inform the next chemical status classification in 2020.

Low Emission Zones: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she will provide funding for local authorities in outer London to introduce their own separate Ultra Low Emissions Zones; and if she will make a statement.

Rebecca Pow: The Mayor of London is responsible for air quality in the capital and has reserve powers under Part IV of the Environment Act (1995) to reflect this. Under the Environment Act the Mayor may direct the boroughs in the Greater London area concerning how they should assess and prioritise action in their areas.London received funding for air quality as part of the 2015 £5.7 billion Transport for London funding settlement. London has also received further funding for specific projects totalling almost £147 million, including almost £10 million this year to clean up London buses and £45 million in plug-in car grants.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 1779 on Agriculture: Seasonal Workers, whether her Department plans to publish data from the seasonal workers pilot scheme prior to the conclusion of the evaluation of the outcomes of that pilot scheme.

George Eustice: The numbers of visa applications made, approved and refused under Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme are published in the quarterly Immigration statistics. This information is available on the Gov.uk website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2019/list-of-tables The Home Department and Defra have established a regime to monitor and evaluate the Pilot against its objectives and expected benefits. We will publish the outcomes of the evaluation process of the Pilot once that evaluation is complete.

Home Office

Knives: Crime

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to tackle knife crime in the UK.

Kit Malthouse: This Government is taking determined action to tackle knife crime and other serious violence. This includes giving the police the resources and tools they need to keep families, communities and our country safe. The Government has recently launched a national campaign to begin to recruit 20,000 new police officers over the next three years, and we are making it easier for the police to use stop and search powers. We are also giving police forces an additional £10 million to allow them to increase the number of officers who carry tasers to help protect themselves and the public from harm.Police funding is increasing by more than £1 billion this year, including council tax and additional funding through the £100 million Serious Violence Fund. This Fund includes £63.4 million for surge operational activity, £35 million to support Violence Reduction Units, and £1.6 million to help improve the quality of data on serious violence.In addition, through the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, the Government is providing the police with more powers, and making it more difficult for young people to get hold of knives in the first place. The Act includes Knife Crime Prevention Orders which will give the police an important new tool to help them to work with people to steer them away from serious violence and knife crime.The Government continues to encourage all police forces to undertake a series of coordinated national weeks of action to tackle knife crime under Operation Sceptre. The operation includes targeted stop and searches, weapon sweeps, surrender of knives, including through amnesty bins, test purchases of knives from retailers, and educational events. The latest phase of the operation took place from 17 to 22 September.The Government is also addressing the root causes of crime by investing over £220 million in early intervention projects and in the Queens Speech on 14 October, it was announced that we would be bringing forward a new Serious Violence Bill to introduce a new legal duty on public bodies to prevent and tackle serious violence.

Harassment: Fixed Penalties

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a fixed penalty offence for harassment.

Victoria Atkins: The Government takes all forms of harassment extremely seriously.Unwelcome advances that intimidate, degrade or humiliate, are an abuse of power and are unlawful. This Government has incorporated sexual harassment into the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy for the first time, in recognition of its disproportionate impact on women.Several criminal offences already cover sexual harassment in public places, including the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, the Public Order Act 1986, the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Equality Act 2010.Together with the Government Equalities Office, we are working to better understand the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace and in public places. This autumn we will be running a nationally representative survey that will go out to 12,000 respondents. We will then consider next steps when we have access to this important evidence.

Home Office: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Victoria Atkins: Answer:Home Office staff have the option to identify as “Muslim” on our HR system rather than identifying their religion as “Islam”.Our records show at 30 September that 2070 Home Office staff identify as Muslim. They identified according to the following ethnicities: EthnicityHeadcountAsian or Asian British1,756Black or Black British101Chinese or Other Ethnic Group67Mixed44Prefer not to say43White59Total 2,070  Additionally, the 2070 Muslim staff are broken down into the following Civil Service grades: GradeHeadcountAA57AO614EO891HEO280SEO146G768G69SCS5Total 2,070

Home Office: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff her Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements her Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Victoria Atkins: In April 2016, the Government introduced a higher minimum wage rate, called the National Living Wage, which all employers in the UK are required to pay to those aged 25 and over.The Home Office is compliant with April 2019 National Living Wage of £8.21 and pays this regardless of age. The Living Wage Foundation (LWF) is an initiative by Citizens UK which advocates employers paying an alternative hourly rate known as the Living Wage or London Living Wage. The current Living Wage is £9.00 and London Living Wage is £10.55. Currently there are no qualifying staff directly employed by the Department being paid below the Living Wage Foundation rate for London.The Home Office does not require its contractors or suppliers to comply with the London Living Wage although they must comply with pay legislation.

Asylum: Glasgow East

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers are resident in Glasgow East constituency.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office publishes quarterly figures on the number of asylum seekers housed in dispersed accommodation, including under Section 95 and Section 4, by local authority in the Immigration Statistics release, in table as_16q and 17q in volume 4 of the Asylum data tables. These are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2019/how-many-people-do-we-grant-asylum-or-protection-toThe figures can not be broken down into individual constituencies, however there were 3982 asylum seekers supported under section 95 accommodated in Glasgow in June 2019. There are additional asylum seekers housed in Glasgow and supported by section 4 support. Figures for section 4 support are only available for the United Kingdom (available in link above).

Offshore Funds

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will outline any (a) new and (b) existing initiatives from her Department on reducing the risk of corruption in offshore payments and holdings such as those revealed by the Panama papers.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office is supporting cross-Government efforts to reduce the risk of corruption related to financial flows through offshore centres. Through implementation of our Anti-Corruption Strategy, Economic Crime Plan, and other linked approaches, the UK leads global efforts to ensure offshore financial centres comply with international financial standards and bear down on illicit finance. The Government publicly reports progress on these strategies annually; these reports will set out new and existing initiatives.

Young Offenders: Children in Care

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the (a) July 2018 Howard League for Penal Reform publication, Know your numbers: using data to monitor and address criminalisation and (b) work of Durham police who are using data as part of a programme of work with children's homes, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using data to help reduce criminalisation and safeguard children living in children's homes.

Kit Malthouse: In November 2018 the Government published a national protocol to reduce the unnecessary criminalisation of children in care and care leavers. It advocates a multi-agency, whole system approach recognising that the care system is not just about keeping children safe, but also promoting recovery, resilience and wellbeing. The protocol stresses the importance of the development of strong understanding of local data and circumstances in reducing criminalisation, offending and reoffending.

Police

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers there were per capita in (a) St Helens, (b) Merseyside and (c) the UK in each year since 2010.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office does not hold information on the number of police officer posts removed from 2010. Police workforce data is collected annually on joiners and leavers and can be found in police workforce statistics which are available via: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2019The Government has announced the police officer recruitment targets for police forces across England and Wales in the first year of the drive to increase ranks by 6,000 by March 2021, and an unprecedented 20,000 over the next three years. The information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-office-announces-first-wave-of-20000-police-officer-uplift

Asylum: Advisory Services

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time spent is (a) waiting to get through to and (b) on hold on a telephone call to Migrant Help.

Victoria Atkins: AIRE is the new Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility service for asylum seekers. Migrant Help are the provider for AIRE. AIRE was implemented on 1 September 2019.As this is a new contract, internal operational data from Migrant Help Is not yet ratified and cannot be shared at this point. We recognise that call waiting times are currently outside Service Level Standard and we are working with Migrant Help to support them in addressing this. Call volumes have exceeded forecasts for a variety of reasons and Migrant Help have introduced alternative forms of contact, which are already having a positive impact on reducing call waiting times.

Police

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officer posts (a) have been removed since 2010 and (b) are planned to be introduced each police force in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office does not hold information on the number of police officer posts removed from 2010. Police workforce data is collected annually on joiners and leavers and can be found in police workforce statistics which are available via: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-31-march-2019The Government has announced the police officer recruitment targets for police forces across England and Wales in the first year of the drive to increase ranks by 6,000 by March 2021, and an unprecedented 20,000 over the next three years. The information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-office-announces-first-wave-of-20000-police-officer-uplift

Drugs: Decriminalisation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to launch a consultation on the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use.

Kit Malthouse: The Government has no plans to decriminalise drug possession. It would not eliminate the crime committed by the illicit trade, nor would it address the harms associated with drug dependence and the misery that this can cause to families and communities. The police and criminal justice system nevertheless have a considerable amount of discretion in how they enforce the law and we support them in taking a proportionate approach.

Ports: Police

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans there are for police officers to provide support at ports in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Jamie Stone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the number of police officers on standby to provide support at ports in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Kit Malthouse: It is the duty of any responsible Government to prepare for every eventuality including the scenario that we leave the EU without agreeing a deal.With that in mind, we are working closely with operational partners - including the police - on contingency planning so we can ensure the safety and security of our citizens in all scenarios.Police Forces are working closely with partner agencies in local areas. Decisions on the deployment of police resources are matters for individual Chief Officers.

Police: Recruitment

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of additional police recruits announced by the Government will be assigned to (a) territorial forces and (b) national policing priorities.

Kit Malthouse: We are committed to recruiting 20,000 officers over the next three years.Our priority for the first year of recruitment is to ensure we meet the public’s expectation of increased officer numbers in their communities. That’s why all of the 6,000 additional officers to be recruited in 2020/21 have been allocated between the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales.Longer term decisions will be taken in due course on the allocation of officers in future years.

Assaults on Police: Body Fluids

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing compulsory blood tests for people who assault police officers with their own bodily fluids.

Kit Malthouse: The question of compulsory blood tests in these circumstances was considered and debated during the parliamentary passage of the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act 2018. At Commons Report stage on 27 April 2018, following consultation with health and policing partners, the Government supported Chris Bryant MP’s amendment removing the relevant clauses. The full transcript of this debate can be found at:https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2018-04-27/debates/0588597B-4425-4255-AAFA-7AE64BECF988/AssaultsOnEmergencyWorkers(Offences)Bill#contribution-8D650D25-E591-466B-A3DE-4A5219E0A172Public Health England worked with stakeholders from across policing (and other emergency services) to produce new guidance for emergency workers to support their assessment and management of exposure to blood-borne viruses (BBV) following assault. The guidance was published in September and will help employing organisations understand how to best support their staff.

Police: Protective Clothing

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to introduce needle-resistant gloves for use by police officers who conduct searches.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential benefits for police officers' (a) mental and (b) physical well-being of introducing needle-resistant gloves for use in searches.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to protect police officers from being assaulted with the use of bodily fluids; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: I refer the hon member to my 9 September response to these questions. (HC287938, HC287939 and HC287940)The Government is clear that police officers should have the best possible protection when facing the physical violence that is sometimes directed against them. Decisions on the purchase and supply of protective equipment are primarily for Chief Officers. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory provides scientific and technical advice to support police where requested. The Home Office has made no assessment of the potential benefits for police officers’ mental and physical well-being of introducing needle-resistant gloves for use in searches.Spit and bite guards provide officers with an important tactical option to protect themselves against spitting and reduce the worst effects of biting. The use of spit and bite guards is an operational matter for Chief Officers.

Smuggling: Bulgaria

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether enhanced security checks are applied to vehicles entering the UK from Bulgaria for the detection of illegal immigrants and contraband.

Seema Kennedy: Border Force search lorries, trailers and containers entering the UK on a targeted or intelligence-led basis. Border Force have also invested tens of millions of pounds in new infrastructure to enhance border security, with all freight vehicles entering the UK screened using a range of techniques. These include the use of carbon dioxide detectors, motion sensors and sniffer dogs to detect clandestine on-board lorries.Border Force work closely with the Road Hauliers Association to prevent opportunist attacks on individual lorries, which can be frustrated by operators taking relatively simple measures to secure their vehicles.Hauliers travelling to the UK are expected to operate effective security measures to prevent illegal migrants entering their vehicles. Border Force fine drivers and operators who have failed to implement such measures and migrants have been discovered in their vehicles.

Bail

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the time-limit for pre-charge bail; and if she will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: The government fully supports the use of pre-charge bail by the police when necessary and proportionate. Pre-charge can initially be granted for 28 days, with extensions available beyond that period.The importance of pre-charge bail, including rules around extension, are highlighted by guidance produced by the National Police Chief’s Council earlier this year.The Home Office is working closely with Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary & Fire and Rescue Services as they conduct their in-depth examination of the use of pre-charge bail and “released under investigation”. We will give serious consideration to any recommendations. We will also continue discussions with partners on how we can best ensure effective use and oversight.

Extradition

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the length of time an extradition would take under the (a) Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill and (b) European Arrest Warrant.

Brandon Lewis: The Extradition (Provisional Arrest) Bill does not make provision to alter the process by which the courts and the Secretary of State determine whether a person should be extradited from the UK. Following any arrest under the power set out in the Bill, extraditions would take place under Part 2 of the Extradition Act 2003.The Home Office does not hold statistical data on the length of cases, and this is dependent on a range of factors including any appeals and the availability of court time. Extradition cases under Part 2 with territories that use the European Convention on Extradition, such as Switzerland for example, are routinely turned around in a matter of months.

Extradition: EU Countries

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which EU member states have constitutional bar on the extradition its nationals to non-EU countries.

Brandon Lewis: It is for individual EU Member States to determine whether the combination of their constitutional framework, their relevant domestic law, and any applicable international arrangements create a bar on the extradition of their own nationals or require conditions to be attached to such an extradition.Under the 1957 European Convention on Extradition, for which Member States’ positions are publicly available, twenty Member States have made declarations regarding the extradition of their own nationals based on a range of factors.

Extradition: EU Countries

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations she has received from EU member states on Article 185 of the Withdrawal Agreement; and which countries have notified the Government of their intention not to extradite their nationals to the UK during the transition period.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Secretary has not received any representations from EU Member States on Article 185 of the Withdrawal Agreement. Whether to ask the European Commission to make a declaration on their behalf is a matter for EU Member States.

Hate Crime

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 433, on Hate Crime, what assessment she has made of the reasons for the increase in hate crimes recorded by the police on the grounds of (a) race, (b) religion, (c) sexual orientation, (d) disability and (e) transgender identity from 2011-12 to 2018-19; and if she will make a statement.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce hate crime.

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of rates of hate crime recorded by each territorial police force in each year for which data is available.

Victoria Atkins: Police recorded hate crime has increased since these figures were first collected by the Home Office in 2011-12. This is largely due to improvements in police recording practices and more victims coming forward to report, but also recognising spikes following incidents like terrorist attacks. Increased reporting is a key theme of the Hate Crime Action Plan, to help ensure that victims receive the support they need, and offenders are brought to justice.Information on hate crime offences recorded by the police forces in England and Wales can be found in Appendix Table 1 of the Hate Crime, England and Wales, 2018/19 statistical bulletin available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2018-to-2019In contrast, the Crime Survey for England and Wales (published last year) shows a downward trend in hate crime, which has fallen by 40% over the past decade.We do however recognise that this might not be the experience within some communities, and that is why this Government remains committed to tackling all forms of hate crime.The cross-Government Hate Crime Action Plan (Action Against Hate: The UK Government’s plan for tackling hate crime) was published in 2016 and refreshed in October last year. This plan has improved the response to all forms of hate crime and the refreshed publication ensures a renewed commitment that victims remain at the heart of our work.Some commitments within the Action Plan include just over £1.5 million for projects to tackle racially and religiously motivated hatred, launch of a public awareness campaign and asking the Law Commission to review hate crime legislation, among other important initiatives.Following the attacks in Christchurch, the former Home Secretary increased the funding for the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme to £1.6m for 2019/20, double the amount awarded last year, announced a new £5m security training scheme for places of worship and committed to a public consultation to understand what more could be done to protect faith institutions. In September, the Chancellor announced a further £3.2m for the fifth year of the Places of Worship Protective Security Funding Scheme for 2020/21.

Asylum: Children

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the protection of (a) unaccompanied and (b) separated (i) refugee and (ii) asylum seeker children whose age is disputed when they arrive in the UK.

Victoria Atkins: Regardless of age, all asylum claims lodged in the UK are carefully considered on their individual merits, in accordance with our obligations under the Refugee Convention.Where clear and credible documentary evidence of age is not available, criteria including physical appearance and demeanour are used as part of the process to assess whether a person is under 18. The Home Office will treat a person claiming to be a child as an adult only where their physical appearance and demeanour very strongly suggest they are 25 years of age or over. When there is doubt about an individual’s claim to be a child, Home Office policy is to refer them to the relevant local authority to carry out a careful “Merton compliant” age assessment, which must be carried out by two social workers and must adhere to guidelines set out by the Courts. Whilst this assessment is ongoing, the individual will be treated as a child with full access to the safeguards available to any child in the system, and the local authority or Health and Social Care Trust looking after the individual remains responsible for their care arrangements and the safeguarding of other children in their care.The Home Office keeps its policies and processes under review, and we remain committed to striking the right balance between ensuring that children who claim asylum are appropriately supported and maintaining the integrity of the asylum system by preventing adults being treated as children.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2019 to Question 1779 on Agriculture: Seasonal Workers, whether her Department plans to publish data from the seasonal workers pilot scheme prior to the conclusion of the evaluation of the outcomes of that pilot scheme.

Seema Kennedy: The numbers of visa applications made, approved and refused under Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme are published in the quarterly Immigration statistics. This information is available on the Gov.uk website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-june-2019/list-of-tablesThe Home Department and Defra have established a regime to monitor and evaluate the Pilot against its objectives and expected benefits. We will publish the outcomes of the evaluation process of the Pilot once that evaluation iscomplete.

Stop and Search

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent guidance she has issued to police forces on the use of stop and search.

Kit Malthouse: Stop and search helps to seize deadly weapons from our streets and is a vital tool in the fight against violent crime. We fully support the police in their use of this power to tackle serious violence and protect our communities from harm. There were over 9,300 offensive weapons arrests in 2018-19, a 20% increase on the previous year.Code A of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 provides detailed guidance for police officers on the fair and effective use of stop and search, and the College of Policing has developed an Authorised Professional Practice on stop and search based on Code A and recommendations from reviews of stop and search.

Stop and Search

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times police forces used stop and search powers in each of the last 12 months; and what the (a) ethnicity and (b) gender was of each of those people who were stopped and searched.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office collects and publishes statistics on the number of stop and searches, conducted by each police force in England and Wales, on an annual basis.Data are published in the ‘Police Powers and Procedures, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, the latest of which cover the twelve months to March 2019:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2019However, stop and search data collected and published for this release does not contain information on the month in which the search took place, nor on the gender of the person stopped and searched.Data on stop and search are also published on the police.uk website, where further breakdowns, including the date of the search and the gender of the person being searched, are available. Data up to August 2019 are available here: https://data.police.uk/data/However, the police.uk data do not form part of the National Statistics published by the Home Office. There are known issues with the data including for location accuracy, Court Results matching, and matching outcomes. Full details are available at https://data.police.uk/about/#quality. Data on the police.uk website is a snapshot in time at the end of a particular month and should be treated with caution.

Knives: Crime

Christian Matheson: What steps her Department is taking to tackle recent increases in knife crime.

Priti Patel: This Government is taking action by recruiting an additional 20,000 police officers, by easing restrictions on the use of stop and search, and through supporting the police operational response through the £100 million Serious Violence Fund.We are also investing in early intervention and, as announced in the Queen’s speech, we will legislate for a new serious violence duty.

Immigration

Stephen Metcalfe: What plans she has for the UK’s future immigration system.

Brandon Lewis: Our vision is for a truly global nation – where we welcome the brightest and best.We have been clear that we will introduce an Australian style points-based system, where it is the skills, talent and contribution people bring to the UK that matters – not where they come from.That is why we have commissioned the independent Migration Advisory Committee as the first step in creating our new and fair immigration system.

Vagrancy Act 1824

Tracey Crouch: If she will repeal the Vagrancy Act 1824; and if she will make a statement.

Seema Kennedy: The Government believes that no-one should be criminalised simply for sleeping rough.In the Cross-Government Rough Sleeping Strategy published last year we committed to review the Vagrancy Act.The review is consulting with stakeholders on all options including retention, repeal, replacement or amendment.

*No heading*

Damien Moore: What steps she is taking to ensure that police officers have adequate powers and protection.

Priti Patel: This Government is committed to ensuring police have the powers they need to keep themselves and the public safe, that is why we have lifted restrictions on stop and search and committed £10m in ring-fenced funding for Taser.We will also introduce a Police Protection Bill to give police the support and protection they need to do their jobs effectively and safely.

Department for International Development

Humanitarian Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to provide humanitarian assistance to religious minority communities in conflict areas.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Humanitarian assistance is provided on the basis of need, irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity. The UK is a staunch defender of the international humanitarian principles which were originated by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the most vulnerable, including those from religious minoritiesThe situation of minority communities is taken into account by our partners when assessing those most in need in a given humanitarian context. This includes when a community is being targeted or is otherwise vulnerable because of their faith. We actively consult faith based organisations to understand how best to support vulnerable groups.

Developing Countries: Nature Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the use of Official Development Assistance to help communities in developing countries protect endangered species.

Zac Goldsmith: Protecting biodiversity is a priority for this Government and I regularly hold discussions with Ministers on climate and environment issues, including protecting endangered species.The government recently committed another £220 million to a new International Biodiversity Fund. This will fund a range of different activities including support to communities to help them protect endangered species and to benefit from their wildlife, for example through tourism.UK Aid is also training rangers, border force agents and prosecutors, campaigning to reduce the demand for products in key markets, and supporting legislative reform to increase conviction rates and penalties for wildlife crime.

Overseas Aid

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the UK commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of GDP on development aid.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government’s commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of our Gross National Income on Official Development Assistance is enshrined in law and in the Conservative manifesto and was re-affirmed by the Chancellor in the recently announced Spending Round on 4 September 2019. The Secretary of State reiterated this commitment in a recent International Development Committee oral evidence session on the priorities and future of the Department for International Development.

International Development Association

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the UK's contribution to the World Bank International Development Association will be over the next 12 months.

Andrew Stephenson: Over the next 12 months, the United Kingdom (UK) is expected to contribute £679 million to the International Development Association (IDA). The next IDA replenishment will start from July 2020 and donors are expected to announce their pledges this December. No decision has been taken on the UK contribution to that. House of Commons consent is required before any UK payments are made.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what support his Department provides to developing countries to support off-grid electricity generation from renewable sources.

Zac Goldsmith: Off-grid renewable energy is often the best way for millions of people to have access to electricity, especially in rural areas. DFID’s support to off-grid electricity generation is delivered through a range of programmes.We provide funding for the installation of off-grid solar power, such as through mini-grid projects in Kenya and Rwanda. We provide technical assistance and are helping to establish markets in a number of African countries for household solar power. For example, a programme using results-based financing is delivering clean energy electricity access to millions, while the Africa Clean Energy programme is supporting a market-based approach for private sector delivery of solar home system products and services.We also support private sector off-grid projects through the Green Climate Fund. For example, one project is helping 50 poor, rural communities in Mali to switch from fossil fuel-powered diesel generators and kerosene lamps to green energy by installing solar mini-grids. We also support development finance interventions such as the Private Infrastructure Development Group, the Multilateral Development Banks, and CDC – which has, for example, invested substantial equity in M-KOPA, a pay-as-you-go solar energy company.Since 2011, the UK has provided 26 million people with improved access to clean energy and installed 1,600 MW in clean energy capacity.The Prime Minister announced at the UN Climate Action Summit funding of up to £1 billion for research, development and deployment of new energy technologies and business models to unlock opportunities in developing countries for cleaner growth and better access to clean energy.

Department for International Development: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many staff in his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Andrew Stephenson: All DFID staff on Civil Service contracts are paid above the Living Wage Foundation rates. None of DFID’s contracted workers are paid less than the National Living Wage. DFID encourages outsource partners to pay the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many staff in his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Mr Alister Jack: No staff working for the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland based in London are paid less than the London Living Wage.The Government Property Agency is responsible for all contractors that service the department’s London building. Information on those contractor rates of pay is not held by the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Cabinet Office

Regeneration: Birkenhead

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding was (a) awarded and (b) allocated to Birkenhead under neighbourhood and community renewal schemes in each year since since 1989.

Simon Hart: This information is not held centrally and could only be produced at a disproportionate cost.

Cabinet Office: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff in his Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Naz Shah: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff in his Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Simon Hart: As set out in the Civil Service Workforce Plan 2016-2020, the Civil Service is an inclusive employer. The Civil Service and the Cabinet Office are committed to becoming more inclusive and it is a key pillar of the Cabinet Office People Strategy.The tables in Annex A show the number of CO employees declaring their religion as Islam as of September 30th 2019. The second table shows what ethnicities have been declared where people have identified their religion as Islam broken down by paygrade. The second table shows how people declaring Islam as their religion have recorded their ethnicity.Please note that due to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) we have not been able to disclose values less than 10. These have been shown as a grey square.Please also refer to data from the Annual Civil Service Employment Survey (ACSES), which provides detail on the number of civil servants reporting their religion by department or grade but not by the two measures combined. It also provides detail on the number of civil servants from an ethnic minority background by department and grade. Latest figures are as at March 2019: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2019  



Annex A
(Word Document, 16.47 KB)

Cabinet Office: Jainism and Zoroastrianism

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.

Chloe Smith: Ministers across Government have attended a number of key events coordinated by Jain and Zoroastrian organisations, and officials have invited representatives from both communities to participate in roundtable discussions where relevant issues are discussed.The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made, and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The Government values this contribution enormously.

Brexit: Publicity

Deidre Brock: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his oral statement of 21 October 2019, Official Report, column 746, on Preparations for Leaving the European Union, what the additional costs are of increasing the no-deal public information campaign to reflect the renewed urgency of preparation.

Kevin Foster: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to PQs 290437, 290765 and 290970 on the 30th September 2019.

Cabinet Office: Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many contingent workers were hired through the Contingent Labour One framework in each year that the framework was in operation.

Simon Hart: The table below shows the number of contingent workers per year that were placed through the Contingent Labour One framework.Calendar YearNumber of workers placed through Contingent Labour ONE Lot 1 (Capita - Interim Managers and Specialist Contractors)Lot 2 (Brook Street - Administrative and Clerical Workers)Lot 3 (Hays - Operational Workers)201318N/AN/A20141768339412620153513518616620164277457847820174568501289920184860131010462019 (Year to Date)364N/AN/A

Cabinet Office: Temporary Employment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of October 21 to Question 888 on Cabinet Office: Temporary Employment, what the total cost is of hiring those 14,190 contingent workers.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much money from the public purse was paid to Alexander Mann Solutions in relation to its work on running the Public Sector Resourcing framework.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 888 on Cabinet Office: Temporary Employment: how many of the 14,190 contingent workers were in the daily rate category of (a) £200 or less, (b) £201 to £500, (c) £501 to £1000, (d) £1001 to £2000 and (e) more than £2000.

Simon Hart: £592,073,452.22 has been spent through the Public Sector Resourcing framework since it commenced in January 2018. The breakdown of the workers day rates in the requested categories (accurate as of 23 October 2019) is as follows: Day Rate Category for Public Sector Resourcing FrameworkNumber of contingent workers per bandless than £200 per day7698£201 - £500 per day3602£501 - £1000 per day2937£1001 - £2000 per day76>£2000 per day4 It would not be appropriate for the Government to share commercially sensitive information into the public domain in relation to question 3547.

Government Departments: Amazon Web Services

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what Government contracts were awarded to Amazon Web Services in each of the last five years; and what the value was of each contract.

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what Government contracts were awarded to (a) Alphabet Inc. and (b) its subsidiaries in each of the last five years; and what the value was of each contract.

Tom Watson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what Government contracts were awarded to Facebook in each of the last five years; and what the value was of each contract.

Simon Hart: Central Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder, including the awarded value of the contract. (https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk)

Elections: Proof of Identity

Cat Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2019 to Question 618 on Elections: Proof of Identity, what the Government's deadline is for settling all accounts with piloting authorities.

Chloe Smith: All accounts with the 2019 pilot authorities have been settled in time for the republication of the Cabinet Office evaluation of the 2019 pilots. The revised evaluation will include cost estimates for the national roll-out of voter ID, and will be published soon.

Brexit: Festivals and Special Occasions

Patrick Grady: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Answer of 5 February 2019 to Question 215222 on Brexit: Festivals and Special Occasions, whether the Government has since developed any further plans for ceremonial and official events to mark the formal exit of the UK from the European Union.

Chloe Smith: Any further plans will be announced in the usual way.

Brexit

Jeff Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Government document entitled Operation Yellowhammer HMG Reasonable Worst Case Planning Assumptions, what plans the Government has to mitigate the predicted disproportionate effect on low-income groups of price rises in food and fuel in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Chloe Smith: HM Treasury routinely monitors economic conditions and risks, and the Government has a range of mechanisms available to support vulnerable people. We stand ready to take appropriate action if economic conditions change. Furthermore, officials make estimates of the direct impact of spending decisions on household living standards, and would continue to do so in any no deal response.The temporary tariff regime, as confirmed on 8 October, took into account, amongst other things, the need to help mitigate any price rises that could affect UK consumers and supply chains. This was a key consideration in our proposals to unilaterally lower tariffs to zero on 88% of goods, including fuel and a number of agricultural products.

Cabinet Office: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the number of civil servants that are paid below the Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation.

Simon Hart: I refer the Right Honourable Member to the answer given to Question 2834 on 24 October 2019.

Poverty

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's response to the letter of 24 July 2019 from Church leaders, what steps the Government plans to take to mitigate the potential risks to people living in poverty of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Prime Minister's response to the letter of 24 July 2019 from Church leaders, what assessment the Government has made of (a) which groups in disadvantaged communities will need additional support and (b) what support those groups will require in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish the (a) information he holds on the effect on disadvantaged communities of the UK leaving the EU without a deal and (b) plans he has in place to mitigate that effect.

Chloe Smith: The Government is making all necessary preparations to ensure that we are ready for leaving the EU whatever the circumstances. We want to ensure the country is prepared at every level.HM Treasury routinely monitors economic conditions and risks, and the Government has a range of mechanisms available to support vulnerable people. We stand ready to take appropriate action if economic conditions change. Furthermore, officials make estimates of the direct impact of spending decisions on household living standards, and would continue to do so in responding to challenges arising from leaving the EU without a deal.We are committed to a strong safety-net for those who need it. This includes a well-established system of hardship payments, benefit advances and budgeting loans as an additional safeguard for those who need them. Additionally, the government has been working with local authorities to understand how a no-deal exit might impact upon their services, including services for vulnerable people.

Brexit: Publicity

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much has been spent on (a) mugs, (b) badges, (c) pens, (d) t-shirts and (e) jumpers to be provided to civil servants as part of the Government's Get ready for Brexit advertising campaign.

Kevin Foster: This information on total spend by Government departments is not held centrally in the form requested. I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to PQs 290437, 290765 and 290970 on 30th September 2019.

Drugs: Death

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many drug-related deaths there were in each of the last 10 years.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.



UKSA Response
(PDF Document, 103.87 KB)

Foreign Relations

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has requested any (a) Ministers and (b) officials to investigate potential contacts between UK parliamentarians and foreign Governments.

Chloe Smith: The Government is fully committed to tightening up legislation so that foreign money cannot find its way into political campaigning and to tackle foreign lobbying. As such, Ministers and officials have been directed to consider the issue for consultation, which will be published in due course.The public have a right to know who is funding campaigning and legislation in the context of Brexit.

Department for International Trade

Trade Missions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many trade missions her Department has led to each country in each of the last five years.

Conor Burns: Whilst my Department does not hold a central list of all historic missions from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) as well as DIT, on reviewing available data, we estimate that over the last five years DIT and its predecessor UKTI have delivered in excess of 500 formal overseas trade missions to more than 80 countries. The figure may well be higher, as my Department operates in 108 countries globally, and not all facilitated visits are formally recorded as trade missions.

Department for International Trade: India

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Answer of 8 October 2019 to Question 294091, how many of her Department's staff are based at the Deputy High Commission in Ahmedabad, India; and if she will make a statement.

Conor Burns: The Department of International Trade has 3 members of staff based at the Deputy High Commission in Ahmedabad, India.

UK-India Joint Economic and Trade Committee

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the Answer of 8 October 2019 to Question 294091 on overseas trade: India, when the Joint Economic Trade Committee met in (a) 2018 and (b) 2019; and if she will publish the papers relating to those meetings.

Conor Burns: The 12th and 13th UK-India Joint Economic Trade Committee (JETCO) met on the 11th January 2018 and on the 15th July 2019 respectively. Following each JETCO a joint statement has been published between the Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry and the UK Secretary of State for International Trade. The 2018 statement referenced both countries’ commitment to take forward the recommendations of the Joint Trade Review and the 2019 statement celebrated the strength of our strategic economic partnership. Both statements are available to the public on GOV.UK.

Department for International Trade: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in her Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Conor Burns: There are 76 members of staff in the Department for International Trade (including UK Export Finance (UKEF) as at 30 September 2019 who have self-reported their religion as Muslim on departmental systems. The ethnicity and grades of those 76 people are shown below.EthnicityHeadcountAsian52Any other ethnic group10Mixed7BlackLess than 5Not ReportedLess than 5Prefer not to sayLess than 5WhiteLess than 5 GradeHeadcountAA/AOLess than 5EO18HEO/SEO36G6/718SCSLess than 5The tables above include civil servants working in the UK and paid via the DIT or UKEF payroll and UK based civil servants working overseas and paid via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office payroll and working on DIT objectives. Where the number of people in any category is too small to be reported it has been redacted in order to prevent identification of individual and their protected characteristics.

Iron and Steel: UK Trade With EU

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department has taken to negotiate tariff-free quotas for UK steel after the UK leaves the EU.

Conor Burns: The government continues to seek to engage with the European Commission to discuss the mutual application of the steel safeguard measure with the aim of preserving traditional trade flows and providing as much continuity to industry as possible in a ‘no deal’ scenario. The Commission have however repeatedly refused to meet with UK officials to discuss this matter. My officials stand ready to discuss this with the Commission whenever they are ready.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 17 October 2019 to Question 295 on Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia, how many of the licences were for goods that could be used in the Yemen conflict.

Graham Stuart: The Court of Appeal judgment of 20 June 2019 placed the Government under an obligation not to grant any new licences to export items to Saudi Arabia for possible use in the conflict in Yemen. The licence applications are still under consideration to determine whether they are for possible use in Yemen.

Imports: Occupied Territories

Matt Western: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Conor Burns: The Government has no plans to bring forward legislation on this subject.

Department for International Trade: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff in her Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements her Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Conor Burns: The Department for International Trade, including UK Export Finance does not employ any permanent staff within London as defined by the Living Wage Foundation paid below the London Living Wage of £10.55ph. As of 24th October, the Department does have 7 temporary members of staff who are employed within London on either the Summer Diversity Internship Programme (SDIP) or Occupational Internship Schemes run by the Department. The rate for the SDIP is set across government by the Cabinet Office at £350 per week or £9.43ph. We apply the same rate for all of the Departments internship schemes to ensure fairness. All outsourced providers are required to pay as a minimum, either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage.

Renewable Energy: Argentina

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, on what date representatives of UK Export Finance last met renewable energy developers in Argentina.

Graham Stuart: Over the past year, UK Export Finance (UKEF) has had frequent and ongoing engagement with multiple stakeholders on renewable energy in Argentina. Most recently, in September 2019, a UKEF official participated in a panel on renewable energy organised by the British Argentine Chamber of Commerce at the EIC Connect Energy event in Manchester. UKEF officials last visited Argentina in February 2018 where they met representatives from the renewable energy sector.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sustainable Development

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to page 13 of the Government’s Civil Society Strategy, what progress her Department has made towards designing a programme to look at more sustainable spaces in conjunction with the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Nicky Morgan: The Space to Connect Fund was launched in June 2019 and is a new £1.6 million fund to help improve community spaces where people can connect and co-operate. This is a partnership between Government and Co-op’s charity, the Co-op Foundation.Space to Connect has awarded an initial round of funding of almost £900,000 to 57 community organisations across England. This fund will support organisations to explore ways to use spaces in their community to address local challenges or expand activities in spaces so they become more financially sustainable in the long-term.

Broadband: Optical Fibres

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons fibre cables used for bringing superfast broadband to businesses and homes are  taxed at the same rate as commercial buildings; what steps she is taking to tackle obstacles to investment in broadband infrastructure; and if she will make a statement.

Matt Warman: The Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2018 paves the way for full-fibre broadband and future 5G communications. By enabling 100% business rates relief for operators who install new fibre on their networks, the Act incentivises operators to invest in the broadband network.My Department is committed to removing barriers to investment in fibre broadband and other digital communications infrastructure. Officials within the Department’s Barrier Busting Task Force are working closely with industry to identify these barriers and bring forward measures to remove them, such as the Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill which, if enacted, will create a streamlined process for operators to deploy broadband in multiple-dwelling buildings when landlords fail to respond to requests for access. The Department has also issued guidance to local authorities on ways they can support and encourage local investment in broadband through its Digital Connectivity Portal and Street Works Toolkit.  For business rates, all rateable values, including those for telecommunications networks, are assessed to the same standard of annual rental value. This ensures that all ratepayers are treated equally and that utility companies, such as gas electric and telecom networks, make a fair contribution to local services. Individual rateable values are assessed independently of Ministers by the Valuation Office Agency.

Members: Twitter

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the steps taken by Twitter in response to complaints made by the Parliamentary authorities on abuse or threats made to hon. Members on that social media platform.

Matt Warman: In 2017 the former Prime Minister commissioned the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s Review of Intimidation in Public Life. Government is acting on the Committee’s recommendations, as set out in the Government’s response to the report, which was published in March 2018. We are clear that we expect companies to do substantially more to keep their users safe and counter online abuse, particularly where this abuse is illegal. The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, to ensure companies have appropriate systems and processes in place to deal with harmful content on their services to keep their users safe. Compliance with this duty of care will be overseen by an independent regulator, which will have a range of enforcement powers. Government has also asked the Law Commission to conduct a second phase of its review of the legal framework around abusive and offensive communications online. This will make specific recommendations for legal reform and is due to report in early 2021.

Biometrics: Privacy

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) effect of increased use of facial recognition software on personal privacy and (b) the adequacy of existing legislation to protect personal privacy.

Nigel Adams: Government is committed to ensuring the responsible deployment of digital technologies, including facial recognition. The use of facial recognition has increased with advancements in technology and has implications for privacy. Facial recognition technology relies on the processing of facial imagery which is defined as personal data under the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Its use is regulated by these laws. This legislation imposes strict obligations on both individuals and organisations to process people’s data fairly and lawfully and to ensure that any data collected is held securely. There must also be a legal basis for processing data. The way in which personal data is collected and handled must be fair and transparent, and the data should be processed in a way which individuals would expect. The DPA and GDPR are enforced independently of Government by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Organisations that fail to comply may be subject to enforcement action by the Information Commissioner’s Office. The ICO is currently investigating facial recognition and its implications for privacy. The Commissioner recently published a blog on ‘Live facial recognition technology - data protection law applies’ which is available on the ICO website. The Government has also recently established the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation to provide independent and expert advice on the governance of data-driven technologies. The Centre will identify the measures needed to strengthen and improve the way data-driven technologies and AI are used. This will include promoting best practice and advising on how government can address potential gaps in our regulatory landscape. The Centre is currently looking at the use of facial recognition technology.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Islam

Naz Shah: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in her Department reported their religion as Islam in the latest period for which figures are available; what the reported ethnicity of those staff was; and how many of those staff were employed at each grade.

Nigel Adams: The attached table refers to the Core Department only and does not include non-ministerial departments. The declaration rate for religion is 68% so this does not reflect the department as a whole. The breakdown of staff who have reported their religion as Islam by grade and ethnicity declaration is as follows (figures have been suppressed when fewer than 5 individuals are part of a group). The Civil Service Workforce Plan 2016-2020 set out the ambition to be the UK’s most inclusive employer. To deliver this objective the Government published “A Brilliant Civil Service: becoming the UK’s most inclusive employer” in October 2017, which committed to focusing on faith and belief as part of our wider approach to inclusion.



Table of Ethnicity 
(PDF Document, 13.38 KB)

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Jainism and Zoroastrian

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by her Department in each of the last two years.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by her Department in each of the last two years.

Nigel Adams: Ministers have attended a number of key events coordinated by Jain and Zoroastrian organisations, and officials have invited representatives from both communities to participate in roundtable discussions where relevant issues are discussed. The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made, and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The Government values this contribution enormously.

Treasure Trove: Codes of Practice

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish her response to her Department's consultation entitled Revising the definition of treasure in the Treasure Act 1996 and revising the related codes of practice.

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when she plans to publish her Department's response to the consultation entitled Strengthening the Process for Retaining National Treasures.

Helen Whately: The Government’s responses to these consultations have been delayed owing to conflicting work pressures. However, they remain a departmental priority and good progress has been made in analysing the responses to the consultations.

Government Departments: Amazon Web Services

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department has awarded Government contracts to Amazon Web Services in the last five years.

Matt Warman: The Department has awarded no such contracts.

Gambling: Video Games

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to prevent young people spending excessively on loot boxes in computer games.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the amount spent by people under 18 on in-app or in-game purchases over the last five years.

Nigel Adams: We are aware of concerns about the potential for excessive spending in games, particularly by young people. These concerns, and particularly those regarding the availability of loot boxes, are discussed in the recent DCMS Select Committee report on Immersive and Addictive Technologies. We are currently considering the Report and its recommendations and will respond in due course. We do not currently have an estimate of the amount spent by people under 18 on in-app or in-game purchases over the last 5 years. However, we note that the Gambling Commission’s new research on Children and Young People found that of the 11-16 year olds taking part in their survey, 52% had heard of the availability of in-game items and of these 44% had paid money to open loot boxes. We encourage parents concerned about in-game spending by their children to consider using the parental controls available on devices to disable this function.

Youth Services: Capital Investment

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the total annual capital expenditure for local authority youth services was in each year since 2010 by local authority.

Nicky Morgan: The data concerning the total capital expenditure for local authority youth services in each year since 2010 is not held by my department.

National Citizen Service Trust

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the NCS Trust's annual report and accounts 2019 will be published.

Nicky Morgan: DCMS intends to publish the NCS Trust annual report and accounts by the end of March of 2020.

Young People: Voluntary Work

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding the Government has allocated for the National Citizens Service for 2020-21.

Nicky Morgan: The 2020-21 budget allocation for NCS will be agreed by the end of the year.

Youth Investment Fund

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's announcement of a new £500 million youth investment fund, what the (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure of that investment fund will be in each of the next five years; how that funding will be allocated; and when that funding will be made available.

Nicky Morgan: Funding from the Youth Investment Fund will be released from 2020-21, and DCMS officials are working alongside HM Treasury to confirm the details.We will be designing the fund in close consultation with young people, the organisations that work with them and other departments. We will communicate our plans for this as soon as possible.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff in his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Nigel Adams: No staff in the Department are paid at a rate below the London Living Wage. This government is committed to paying people a decent living wage, which is being addressed through the statutory National Living Wage. In April 2019, the National Living Wage increased to £8.21 per hour, handing a full-time worker a further £690 annual pay rise. By 2024 the National Living Wage will rise to £10.50 per hour, reaching 66% of median UK earnings. The scope will be expanded to everyone aged 21 and over and is expected to benefit over 4 million low paid workers. The Government will always award contracts on the basis of the best value for money for the taxpayer. DCMS standard terms and conditions ensures that any supplier shall comply with all applicable laws in supplying services to the department. We insist that contractors pay at least the National Minimum Wage.

Exercise: Gender

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of any differential in the level of exercise by girls and boys on the number of each gender who pursue sporting careers.

Nigel Adams: Government wants everyone, regardless of their background to feel able to participate, engage and work in the sport and physical activity sector. The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey shows that there remains a significant gender gap in physical activity levels for boys and girls, and that girls are less likely to enjoy or feel confident about participating in sport and physical activity. We are working with the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care to address this through the School Sport and Activity Action Plan. Government is also working closely with Sport England to ensure that the sporting workforce is strong, dynamic and representative of the wider population.

House of Commons Commission

Palace of Westminster: Sanitation

Rosie Cooper: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many male toilets there are in the Palace of Westminster; and how many male toilets have disposal bins suitable for the disposal of stoma and continence and personal care products.

Tom Brake: There are 57 male toilets in the Palace of Westminster. Currently only one male toilet - in the House of Lords ground floor cloakroom - has a disposal bin; however the bins are generally only provided if requested. We have not to date received any requests for bins of the sort specified, but would be happy to respond if made aware of any demand.

Members: Twitter

Ian Austin: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many MPs have contacted the House authorities about anonymous abuse or threats on Twitter in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tom Brake: The Parliamentary Security Department regularly provides advice to Members and their staff on social media security, but we do not collate data on these interactions. For security and privacy reasons, the discussions held between Members and the House authorities relating to threats and abuse are not publicly available. Threats and abuse received by Members should always be reported to the police.The Member is invited to contact the Director of Security for Parliament directly if he wishes to discuss this matter further.

Members: Social Media

Ian Austin: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many staff Parliament has employed to deal with social media companies in respect of abuse or threats directed at Members of Parliament in each of the last five years.

Tom Brake: Prior to June 2017 no staff were directly employed to deal with social media companies in respect of abuse or threats directed at Members of Parliament.From June 2017 to May 2019, one member of staff was directly employed in this line of work.From June 2019 to date, two members of staff have been directly employed in this line of work.

Members: Twitter

Ian Austin: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what assessment the Commission has made of the effectiveness of Twitter's response to complaints by House authorities about abuse or threats directed at Members of Parliament.

Tom Brake: Parliament has established a reasonable relationship with the main social media companies, including Twitter. We continually monitor the effectiveness of our work as we regularly raise abusive content directly with the company on behalf of Members.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Living Wage

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff in his Department are paid less than the London Living Wage; and what requirements his Department places on contractors to pay the London Living Wage to London-based staff.

Kevin Foster: This Government is committed to paying people a decent living wage, which is being addressed through the statutory National Living Wage. In April 2019, the National Living Wage increased to £8.21 per hour, handing a full-time worker a further £690 annual pay rise. By 2024 the National Living Wage will rise to £10.50 per hour, reaching 66% of median UK earnings. The scope will be expanded to everyone aged 21 and over and is expected to benefit over 4 million low paid workers. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is not an employer in its own right and so has no direct employees nor does it contract for outsourced staff. Staff at the Office are Ministry of Justice (MoJ) employees and agency staff are engaged through MoJ contracts. No MoJ employees nor any agency staff working at the Wales Office are paid less than the London Living Wage.